REESE  LIBRARY 

1!  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Class 


HISTORY 


OF  THE 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS. 


Rev.    l.    TENNEY 


AUSTIN,  TEXAS: 

Eugene  Von  Boeckmann,  Printer,  Bookbinder,  Statione* 

1895. 


F 


History  of  the  Presbytery  of  Central 
Texas. 


In  1837  Rev-  Hugh  Wilson  visited  Texas.  Of  the  particulars 
of  this  visit,  what  points  he  preached  at,  we  have  no  information. 
Returning  to  Tennessee,  he  came  out  again  the  next  year  with 
his  family.  Stopping  near  San  Augustine,  he  found  there  a 
group  of  Presbyterians  on  Tune  2,  1838,  and  organized  them  into 
a  church — the  first  Presbyterian  church  in  Texas,  four  miles  west 
of  San  Augustine.  The  church  as  organized,  numbered  twenty- 
two  members,  and  was  named  Bethel.  Some  years  afterwards 
the  location  and  name  were  changed  to  San  Augustine.  Mr. 
Wilson  continued  to  preach  to  the  church  till  October  of  that 
year.  In  February,  1839,  he  organized  a  church  at  Independ- 
ence. Houston  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  W.  Y.  Allen, 
April,  1839.  Austin  church  by  the  same,  October,  1839.  Gal- 
veston church  by  Rev.  John  McCullough,  January  1,  184.0. 
April  3,  1840,  the  three  ministers  above  named,  and  one  ruling 
elder,  John  McFarland,  of  Independence  church,  who  had  come 
with  Mr.  Wilson's  family,  from  San  Augustine,  met  at  Chrits- 
man's  school  house,  near  Independence,  and  organized  the  Brazos 
Presbytery,  connected  with  the  Synod  of  Mississippi.  In  1850, 
the  Synod  divided  the  Brazos  Presbytery  into  three  Presbyteries 
of  Brazos,  Eastern  Texas  and  Western,  the  boundaries  divid- 
ing them  being  the  Colorado  river  and  the  Trinity  river  to  the 
33d  degree  north  latitude,  thence  due  north  to  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory. The  Presbyteries  thus  formed  petitioned  the  General  As- 
sembly to  be  erected  into  the  Synod  of  Texas,  and  the  petition 
being  granted,  the  first  meeting  of  the  Synod  was  held  at  Aus- 
tin, October  30,  1851.  It  adjourned  to  meet  at  Huntsville  June 
30,  1852,  but  there  being  no  quorum  at  that  time,  it  met  at  the 
call  of  the  Moderator,  Rev.  Dr.  Baker,  at  Huntsville,  April  8, 
1854. 

PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS. 

The  records  of  the  Presbytery  of  Central  Texas  contain  the 
following   preliminary   statement:     "The  Presbytery   of  Brazos 


004 


4  HISTORY  OF  THE 

which  met  in  Huntsville,  Texas,  on  Thursday,  April  6,  1854, 
made  an  overture  to  the  Synod  of  Texas  that  a  new  Presbytery 
by  set  off  from  the  northern  part  of  their  territory.  Therefore  at 
a  meeting  of  the  Synod  held  at  Huntsville  in  Austin  College  on 
Monday,  April  10th,  the  overture  was  considered,  and  it  was 

"Resolved,  That  all  the  territory  embraced  between  the  Trinity 
and  Colorado  rivers  north  of  the  north  boundary  line  of  the  coun- 
ties of  Colorado,  Washington,  Brazos  and  L,eon,  be  set  off  as  a 
new  Presbytery,  to  be  called  the  Presbytery  of  Central  Texas, 
the  Rev.  Hugh  Wilson  to  call  and  moderate  the  first  meeting." 

The  act  of  the  Synod  does  not  name  the  ministers  and 
churches  constituting  the  new  Presbytery.  The  churches  in  the 
territory  were  seven:  La  Grange,  Round  Top,  String  Prairie 
(now  Hugh  Wilson),  Austin,  Deer  Creek  (now  Carolina),  Con- 
cord and  Oak  Island. 

All  the  ministers  residing  in  the  territory — Hugh  Wilson, 
John  T.  Balch,  Wm.  M.  Baker  and  R.  F.  Bunting — being  present 
at  the  meeting  of  Synod,  met  according  to  the  direction  of 
Synod  at  2  o'clock  p.  m.,  in  the  college  building,  and  organized. 
W.  M.  Baker  was  Temporary  Clerk  and  R.  F.  Bunting  was 
elected  Stated  Clerk,  and  directed  to  act  as  Treasurer.  W.  M. 
Baker  and  Elder  A.  H.  Cook  were  chosen  Commissioners  to  the 
General  Assembly,  which  met  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  the  next 
month.  The  third  Thursday  of  April  and  the  last  Thursday  of 
October  were  appointed  the  times    for  the  stated  meetings. 

A  permanent  committee  on  Missions  was  appointed,  also  a 
committee  to  mature  a  plan  for  scholarship  in  Austin  College. 
The  minutes  of  the  next  meeting  make  no  mention  of  the  Com- 
missioners to  the  General  Assembly  reporting  their  attendance, 
and  probably  neither  of  them  attended. 

Permission  was  given  licentiates  T.  W.  Erwin  and  L,.  Tenney 
to  labor  within  the  Presbytery.  The  latter,  though  not  a  mem- 
ber, was  present  at  this  and  the  next  meeting. 

The  Second  Meeting  was  at  the  String  Prairie  church,  October 
26,  1854.  All  the  ministers  were  present,  and  Ruling  Elders  J. 
H.  Hutchings,  Austin;  W.  C.  Cunningham,  String  Prairie;  T. 
W.  Archibald,  Oak  Island;  A.  V.  Sea,  Deer  Creek;  Dr.  Thos. 
Barbee,  Round  Rock.  Rev.  J.  T.  Balch  was  Moderator.  At 
this  meeting  licentiate  T.  W.  Erwin  was  ordained,  Rev.  Michael 
Dickson  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Talladyer.  The 
churches  of  Round  Rock,  organized  by  Rev.  W.  M.  Baker,  and 
Chambers  Creek,  organized  by  Rev.  J.  T.  Balch,  were  received, 
and  the  name  of  Deer  Creek  church  changed  to  Carolina.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  a  candidate,  T.  J.  Stone, 
understood  to  be  residing  within  the  Presbytery.     This  commit- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  5 

tee  was  continued  for  several  sessions  without  meeting  Mr.  S. 
He  left  the  State,  but  returned  about  1878  or  '79,  and  preached 
in  the  Presbytery  of  Dallas. 

Earnest  action  was  taken  on  the  subjects  of  Systematic  Benevo- 
lence, taking  collections  for  the  boards  and  ministerial  support. 
It  was  resolved  to  establish  a  perpetual  scholarship  in  Austin 
College.  The  plan  adopted  was  to  pay  the  interest  annually, 
$50,  and  the  churches  were  assessed  at  the  rate  of  20  cents  per 
member  to  raise  the  money.  This  interest  was  paid  four  years, 
and  in  1858  something  over  $100  was  paid  on  the  principal.  But 
the  scholarship  was  never  issued,  and  in  April,  1859,  it  was  voted 
to  recede  from  the  action..  Rev.  J.  T.  Balch  and  Elder  A.  H. 
Cook  were  elected  Commissioners  to  the  next  General  Assembly. 
All  the  members  who  sat  in  this  Presbytery,  except  T.  W.  Erwin, 
who  sat  for  a  short  time  after  his  his  ordination,  have  gone  to 
their  reward;  the  last  of  them  Elder  J.  H.Hutchins,  who  died 
at  his  home  in  Austin,  July  22,  1893. 

The  Third  Meeting  was  held  at  the  Oak  Island  church,  April 
19,  1855.  All  the  ministers  were  present  except  Mr.  Erwin,  and 
Elders  Jas.  Means,  Oak  Island;  Richard  Sansom,  Round  Rock; 
John  Loughridge,  Chambers  Creek;  A.  V.  Sea,  Carolina,  and 
W.  B.  McAllister,  Blue  Ridge.  In  the  fall  or  early  winter  of 
1854,  six  ministers  arrived  in  Texas  from  Indiana;  five  of  them 
in  one  company — Samuel  Taylor,  Thos.  Alexander  and  J.  M. 
McChord,  men  advanced  in  life,  and  Robert  F.  Taylor,  a  son, 
and  W.  C.  Rice,  a  son-in-law  of  Samuel  Taylor.  The  three 
former  stopped  near  Waco.  The  two  young  men  went  to  the 
Eastern  Texas  Presbytery,  and  a  few  years  after  to  the  east  of 
the  Mississippi. 

Mr.  Rice  died  young.  Mr.  Taylor  while  in  Eastern  Texas  sup- 
plied the  Lancaster  church,  in  this  Presbytery,  for  a  short  time. 
The  sixth  was  R.  M.  Overstreet,  who  settled  at  Georgetown. 
Messrs.  S.  Taylor,  Alexander  and  McChord  were  received  by  the 
Presbytery  at  this  meeting,  also  L.  Tenney,  who  had  been  or- 
dained by  the  Brazos  Presbytery  in  the  fall,  and  dismissed  to  this 
Presbytery.  He  had  spent  the  previous  summer  preaching  and 
teaching  at  Round  Top.  Mr.  Overstreet  was  present  but  had 
not  his  dismission.  The  church  of  Blue  Ridge,  organized  by 
Rev.  J.  T.  Balch,  was  received.  Messrs.  Taylor,  Alexander  and 
McChord  were  appointed  to  organize  a  church  at  Waco. 

Messrs.  Taylor  and  McChord  were  recommended  to  the  Board 
of  Domestic  Missions  for  salaries  of  $300  each,  to  labor  on  the 
frontier.  Mr.  Taylor  died  on  the  9th  of  June  following.  Mr. 
McChord  did  not  meet  the  Presbytery  again  to  make  any  report 
of  his  labors,  and  was  dismissed  the  next  spring  to  the  Presby- 


6  HISTORY  OF  THE 

tery  of  Vincennes,  having  left  the  State  perhaps  during  the  sum- 
mer. Mr.  Taylor  was  a  native  of  Nova  Scotia,  but  reared  prin- 
cipally in  New  Hampshire  and  Ohio.  He  had  preached  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Indiana  for  about  thirty-two  years,  and  was  in  his  six- 
tieth year  at  his  death. 

The  practice  of  appointing  two  ministers  to  preach  on  specified 
subjects  at  following  meeting,  was  commenced  at  this  time. 
Some  subjects  occupying  the  attention  of  the  church  at  large  at 
the  time  were  considered.  The  matter  of  establishing  a  Board 
of  Missions  at  New  Orleans  was  favored.  A  proposed  change 
of  the  Church  Extension  Committee  of  the  B.  of  D.  M.  to  a 
Board  was  disapproved.  The  Board  of  Publication  was  request- 
ed to  commission  Dr.  Thos.  Barbee,  an  elder  of  Round  Rock 
church,  as  a  colporteur.  This  request  was  granted,  and  Dr.  Bar- 
bee  spent  several  months  in  the  work,  but  died  during  the  next 
year.  The  churches  of  Round  Rock  and  Carolina  were  recom- 
mended to  the  Board  of  Missions  for  aid.  It  may  be  added  here 
that  during  the  years  previous  to  the  civil  war  every  church  in 
the  Presbytery,  except  String  Prairie,  applied  for  and  received 
recommendations  for  aid. 

The  Fourth  Meeting  was  held  at  the  Round  Top  church,  on 
October  27,  1855.  Only  five  of  the  nine  ministers  now  belong- 
ing to  the  Presbytery  were  present — Baker,  Alexander,  Balch, 
Bunting  and  Tenuey — and  Elders  A.  R.  Jones,  Round  Top;  T. 
W.  Archibald,  Oak  Island;  Richard  Sansom,  Round  Rock. 

Rev.  Daniel  Baker,  D.  D.,  was  present  and  preached  several 
sermons  during  the  time  of  the  meeting. 

T.  W.  Erwin  was  dismissed  to  Bethel  Presbytery,  having  left 
the  State  several  months  before.  He  returned  to  Texas  about 
1880,  and  is  now  in  Dallas  Presbytery.  R.  M.  Overstreet,  having 
been  in  the  Presbytery  about  a  year,  being  known  to  the  mem- 
bers and  giving  good  reasons  for  not  being  present,  was  received 
as  a  member  without  examination,  the  Presbytery  thereby  incur- 
ring the  censure  of  the  Synod.  The  first  church  organized  in 
McLennan  county,  organized  by  the  committee  appointed  for  the 
purpose,  with  seventeen  members,  was  received.  Rev.  J.  T. 
Balch  reported  his  attendance  on  the  last  General  Assembly,  and 
Rev.  R.  F.  Bunting  and  Elder  A.  H.  Cook  were  elected  commis- 
sioners to  the  next  Assembly.  In  those  early  years  no  provision 
was  made  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  ruling  elder  commissioner, 
and  if  one  was  not  found  to  pay  his  own  expenses,  none  went. 
C.  J.  Erwin  was  received  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry,  but 
never  entered  it  for  want  of  the  required  education. 

In  connection  with  the  free  conversation  on  the  state  of  reli- 
gion, it  is  said:  Considerable  interest  was  reported  in  some  of  the 


PRESBYTERV  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  7 

churches,  and  in  general  an  encouraging  state  of  things.  The 
ministers  generally  reported  having  fulfilled  the  requirement  to 
preach  two  Sabbaths  in  destitute  places.  Supplies  were  appointed 
for  the  vacant  churches. 

The  Fifth  Meeting  was  held  at  the  Carolina  church,  April  17, 
1856.  Ministers  present — Wilson,  Alexander,  Balch,  Dickson, 
Baker,  Tenney.  Absent — Bunting  and  Overstreet.  Elders  J.  J. 
Long,  Carolina;  Thos.  Barbee,  Georgetown;  J.  McFarland,  1st 
church  McLennan  county;  James  Means,  Oak  Island;  H.  Steele, 
Blue  Ridge;  W.  Smythe,  Austin;  W.  R.  Hudson,  Milford. 

Rev.  Bunting  had  left  the  Presbytery  and  commenced  his  work 
at  San  Antonio.  Having  been  elected  commissioner  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly  at  the  fall  meeting,  he  did  not  ask  for  a  dismission, 
but  went  to  the  Assembly.  The  office  of  stated  clerk  was  declared 
vacant  and  Rev.  L,.  Tenney  elected  to  fill  it.  From  this  time  the 
clerk  received  $20  per  year  for  his  work,  until  1887,  when  it  was 
increased  to  $40.  The  Milford  church,  organized  by  Rev.  M. 
Dickson,  June  25,  1855,  w*tn  twenty  members,  was  received. 
Rev.  L-  Tenney  was  installed  pastor  of  Carolina  church.  This 
relation  continued  till  the  end  of  the  year  1859.  Half  of  his 
time  was  given  to  the  Carolina  church  and  much  of  the  time  he 
had  a  monthly  appointment  at  Marlin  and  at  Belton. 

The  Sixth  Meeting  was  held  at  Georgetown,  October  30,  1856. 
Six  ministers  present.  B>  an  oversight,  doubtless,  presence  of 
elders  not  noted.  Rev.  F.  Bunting  was  dismissed.  Rev.  Jos. 
Boone  was  received  from  the  Brazos  Presbytery.  Rev.  M.  Dick- 
son reported  the  organization  of  the  Lancaster  church,  with  nine 
members.  Rev.  R.  M.  Overstreet  was  elected  commissioner  to  the 
General  Assembly,  but  the  alternate,  Jos.  Boone,  attended.  Elder 
Wm.  Smythe,  of  Austin,  was  also  elected  commissioner,  and  at- 
tended— the  first  elder  the  Presbytery  had  in  the  Assembly.  The 
Presbytery  had  called  on  the  Board  of  Missions  for  quite  a  large 
amount  of  money  and  at  this  meeting  a  letter  was  received  set- 
ting forth  the  necessities  of  the  Board.  It  met  a  suitable  response 
and  generally  the  churches  were  liberal,  for  their  means,  in  giv- 
ing. The  narrative  at  this  meeting  says:  "There  are  many  things 
to  discourage,  especially  the  unsettled  state  of  the  churches.  But 
there  appears  to  be  a  good  degree  of  diligence  and  fidelity  in 
preaching  the  Word.  Good  attendance  on  preaching  generally, 
and  reason  to  believe  that  our  church  is  exerting  a  healthful  in- 
fluence in  this  part  of  the  State." 

The  Seventh  Meeting  was  held  at  Austin,  April  17,  1857. 
Ministers  present— Alexander,  Dickson,  Baker,  Tenney,  Wilson, 
Overstreet.  Absent — Balch  and  Boone.  Only  two  elders  re- 
ported present— A.  H.  Cook,  of  Austin,  and  Samuel  Carothers. 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Pleasant  Hill  had  been  organized  by  Rev.  Overstreet,  Feb.  14. 
In  the  reports  concerning  collections  it  is  noted  that  no  collec- 
tions had  been  taken  in  the  Austin  church  on  account  of  the  ab- 
sence of  the  pastor  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Nearly 
all  the  churches  reported  collections.  This  meeting  was  held  a 
few  days  after  one  of  the  most  disastrous  spring  freezes  in  the 
history  of  the  country — two  freezes,  indeed,  five  or  six  days 
apart.  The  wheat  was  killed  in  all  the  wheat  growing  region, 
the  young  corn  also,  and  as  old  corn  was  very  scarce  in  the 
country,  the  prospect  was  gloomy  indeed.  In  view  of  this  and 
of  the  spiritual  dearth,  Wednesday,  the  29th  of  the  month,  was 
appointed  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  to  be  observed  by  our 
churches.  A  form  for  keeping  session  books  was  adopted  and 
recommended  to  the  sessions,  and  though  not  followed  in  full,  it 
has  probably  had  a  good  deal  of  influence  since  upon  the  man- 
ner of  keeping  the  books.   It  was  drawn  up  by  Rev.  M.  Dickson. 

The  Eighth  Meeting  was  held  in  the  Milford  church,  October 
29,  1857.  Six  ministers  present;  absent,  Alexander  and  Baker. 
Only  two  elders  present,  J.  Means,  of  Oak  Island,  and  H.  G. 
Bostwick,  of  Milford.  On  account  of  the  small  number  of 
elders  present  at  several  meetings,  a  rule  was  adopted  that  each 
minister  present,  if  unaccompanied  by  an  elder,  should  give  a 
reason  therefor.  The  minutes  of  the  meeting  show  the  usual 
earnest  attention  to  the  spiritual  situation  and  to  benevolent  work. 
Yet  the  narrative  says:  "There  have  been  no  revivals  and  few 
additions — worldly- mindedness  perhaps  more  than  usually  prev- 
alent. Yet  there  is  manifestly  a  growing  interest  in,  and  in- 
creasing attendance  upon  the  preaching  of  the  Word.  There  is 
also  a  pressing  desire  in  every  direction  for  the  labors  of  minis- 
ters of  our  church."  A  committee  was  appointed  to  inquire  into 
the  expedience  of  establishing  a  Presbyterial  Academy. 

The  Presbytery  met  by  adjournment  November  6th,  during 
the  sessions  of  Synod  at  Palestine,  and  received  Rev.  A.  J. 
Loughridge  from  the  Presbytery  of  Eastern  Texas. 

The  Presbytery  now  contained  nine  ministers  and  thirteen 
churches.  For  several  years  there  was  little  change  in  the  situa- 
tion, and  little  growth.  The  narratives  from  time  to  time  show 
that  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  were  alive  to  the  condition 
of  things,  and  were  earnestly  at  work. 

The  Ninth  Meeting  was  held  at  the  String  Prairie  church, 
April  8th,  1858.  Present,  six  ministers;  absent,  Alexander, 
Balch  and  Baker.  Two  elders  only  were  present.  Mr.  Baker 
was  absent  from  the  Presbytery  for  several  months  at  this  time, 
writing  his  biography  of  his  father,  Rev.  Dr.  Daniel  Baker.  The 
effort  to  have  two  presbyterial  sermons  at  each  meeting  had  not 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  9 

been  very  successful,  and  at  this  time  the  rule  was  changed,  and 
only  one  appointed.  The  Oak  Island  church  was  recommended 
to  the  Church  Extension  committee  for  aid — $250 — to  complete 
their  house  of  worship.  The  General  Assembly,  at  New  Orleans, 
this  year  was  attended  by  Rev.  L.  Tenney. 

The  Tenth  Meeting  was  held  at  the  Oak  Island  church,  Oc- 
tober 28th,  1858.  Present,  six  ministers;  absent,  Baker,  Balch, 
Boone.  Only  one  elder  reported  present.  Rev.  Thos.  Alexander 
had  removed  to  Oak  Island  some  time  before,  and  at  this  meet- 
ing he  received  a  call  and  was  installed  pastor  of  the  Oak  Island 
church.  The  installation  sermon  did  double  duty,  being  also  a 
dedication  sermon  for  the  new  house  of  worship.  The  first  meet- 
ing of  the  Presbytery  with  this  church  was  held  in  a  log  build- 
ing. Rev.  J.  T.  Balch  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Red 
River.  He  died  at  Minden,  La.,  about  the  end  of  the  year  1861. 
He  was  a  native  (probably)  of  Tennessee;  had  preached  in 
Arkansas  some  time  before  coming  to  Texas,  and  when  this  Pres- 
bytery was  organized  was  stated  supply  to  the  Oak  Island  church, 
in  which  work  he  continued  till  a  short  time  before  he  left  the 
State.  At  this  meeting,  appointments  were  made  for  a  visitation 
of  the  churches  of  the  Presbytery,  two  ministers  being  sent  to 
each  church. 

The  Eleventh  Meeting  was  held  at  Carolina  church,  April  21st, 
1859.  Five  ministers  present;  three  absent.  Four  elders  pres- 
ent. The  committee  on  Presbyterial  Academy  reported  that  it 
had  no  action  to  recommend,  and  the  subject  was  dropped. 
After  the  death  of  the  colporteur,  Dr.  Barbee,  the  books  he  had 
on  hand  had  been  taken  by  the  members  of  the  Presbytery,  to 
pay  for  and  dispose  of  as  best  they  could.  An  effort  had  been 
made  to  get  another  colporteur,  but  was  unsuccessful.  It  had 
been  proposed  also  that  each  minister  should  take  $12  worth  of 
books  annually,  and  dispose  of  them.  The  report  at  this  meet- 
ing showed  only  a  very  small  measure  of  success.  T.  M.  Carter, 
a  licentiate  of  Transylvania  Presbytery,  was  given  permission  to 
labor  in  the  Presbytery.  He  had  prepared  for  the  ministry,  but 
a  serious  impediment  in  his  speech  prevented  his  preaching 
much.  After  the  war,  he  joined  a  colony  to  Brazil,  and  died 
there.  A  second  appointment  was  made  for  a  visitation  of  the 
churches,  going  "two  and  two."  The  appointments  made  at 
the  last  meeting  were  reported  generally  filled.  The  Presbyter}' 
was  represented  in  the  General  Assembly  this  year  by  Rev.  T. 
Alexander  and  Dr.  R.  S.  Shannon,  elder,  of  La  Grange. 

The  Twelfth  Meeting  was  at  La  Grange,  October  28th,  1859. 
Present,  five  ministers  and  three  ruling  elders.  Rev.  Amzi  Brad- 
shaw,  from  Tennessee,  a  minister  of  the  New  School  church,  had 


IO  HISTORY  OF  THE 

preached  for  some  time  at  La  Grange,  and  died  there  June  5th, 
1859.  A  memorial  of  him  was  placed  on  the  records  of  the 
Presbytery.  The  subject  of  the  committee  of  Missions,  to  be 
established  at  New  Orleans,  came  before  the  Presbytery,  and  the 
clerk  was  directed  to  correspond  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Missions  with  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the  act  establishing 
the  committee.  The  objection  to  it  was  that  it  threw  the  church 
in  the  South  entirely  on  its  own  resources,  the  board  at  Philadel- 
phia not  being  expected  to  give  any  aid,  a  thing  which  we  had 
not  previously  supposed  was  intended. 

The  Thirteenth  Meeting  was  held  at  Georgetown,  April  19th, 
i860.  Present,  six  ministers.  Only  one  elder  present,  R.  San- 
som,  of  Georgetown.  Rev.  J.  M.  McChord  having  returned  from 
Indiana,  was  present,  but  was  not  received  till  the  next  meet- 
ing. A  resolution  was  passed  cordially  approving  the  establish- 
ing of  the  "Advisory  Committee  of  Missions"  at  New  Orleans. 
Rev.  R.  M.  Overstreet  was  commissioner  to  the  General  Assem- 
bly. The  narrative  of  the  state  of  religion  makes  a  comparison 
with  the  state  of  things  four  years  before,  to  show  how  little 
growth  there  had  been,  with  all  the  labor  expended.  In  '56,  8 
ministers,  2  candidates,  11  churches,  27  added  on  examination, 
45  on  certificate,  13  colored  communicants,  328  total  number  of 
communicants,  7  adults  and  36  infants  baptized,  227  children  in 
Sabbath-schools,  $3771  total  contributions.  In  '60,  8  ministers, 
no  candidates,  13  churches,  16  added  on  examination,  24  on 
certificate,  11  colored  communicants,  386  total  communicants,  2 
adults  and  21  infants  baptized,  117  children  in  Sabbath-schools, 
$4599  total  contributions. 

The  Fourteenth  Meeting  was  held  at  Round  Top,  October 
27th,  i860.  Present,  five  ministers  and  three  ruling  elders.  An 
overture  was  ordered  to  be  sent  to  the  Synod  to  divide  the  Pres- 
bytery on  the  line  of  the  Brazos  river,  and  to  add  to  the  new 
Presbytery  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  the  counties  of  L,eon  and 
Robertson  from  the  Brazos  Presbytery.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed on  application  of  persons  at  Clifton  to  organize  a  church 
at  that  place. 

The  Fifteenth  Meeting  took  place  at  the  Blue  Ridge  church, 
April  1 8th,  1861.  Present,  five  ministers;  absent,  four.  Four 
elders  enrolled.  The  churches  of  North  Bosque  and  of  Belton 
were  received  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery.  The  Stated 
Clerk,  L.  Tenney,  being  engaged  in  teaching,  which  for  the  time 
prevented  his  regular  attendance  at  the  meetings,  sent  in  his 
resignation.  Rev.  J.  M.  McChord  was  elected  clerk.  Rev.  Wm. 
Baker  was  chosen  commissioner  to  the  General  Assembly,  and 
attended  the  memorable  session  of  that  body  in  Philadelphia  in 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  II 

May,  1 86 1.  He  did  not  meet  the  Presbytery  to  afterwards  ren- 
der a  report  of  his  attendance.  The  story  was  told  by  some  who 
were  there,  that  in  making  a  speech  upon  the  issues  of  the  day, 
he  began  with,  "I  am  the  son  of  Daniel  Baker,"  and  went  on  to 
say  that  he  was  glad  that  his  father  had  not  lived  to  see  that 
day. 

The  Sixteenth  Meeting  was  held  at  Milford,  October  10th, 
1861.  The  troubles  of  the  "war  times"  were  beginning  to  be 
heavily  felt,  and  the  Presbytery  was  called  upon  to  define  its  po- 
sition in  regard  to  the  changes  taking  place  in  church  relations. 
Yet  the  meeting  was  a  small  one,  M.  Dickson,  J.  M.  McChord 
and  L/.  Tenney  being  the  only  ministers  present.  The  ruling 
elders  were  Dr.  T.  L.  C.  Means,  of  Oak  Island;  T.  W.  Archi- 
bald, of  North  Bosque;  H.  G.  Bostwick,  of  Milford,  and  A.  V. 
Lea,  of  Carolina.  The  usual  routine  of  business  was  gone 
through.  Rev.  S.  Martin,  of  Ningpo  Presbytery,  received  per- 
mission to  preach  for  the  Lancaster  Presbytery  till  the  next 
meeting.  Mr.  Martin  had  spent  some  time  as  a  missionary  in 
China,  and  expected  to  return  there.  Whether  he  did  or  not, 
the  writer  is  not  able  to  say. 

The  following  paper  was  adopted: 

Whereas,  The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  the  United  States  of  America,  by  declaring  in  their  resolution, 
that  we  are  under  obligations  to  promote  and  to  perpetuate,  so 
far  as  in  us  lies,  the  integrity  of  the  United  States,  and  to 
strengthen,  uphold  and  encourage  the  Federal  Government,  has 
required  of  its  members  in  the  Confederate  States  to  do  that 
which  would  be  treasonable  against  the  powers  that  be  in  these 
States,  thereby  leaving  no  course  open  for  us  to  pursue  but  to 
separate  from  that  General  Assembly;  therefore,  be  it 

Resolved,  1st.  That  our  connection  with  the  General  x\ssembly 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  be 
and  is  hereby  dissolved. 

2nd.  That  this  Presbytery  will  appoint  commissioners  to 
unite  with  commissioners  from  the  other  Presbyteries  in  the  Con- 
federate States  in  organizing  a  General  Assembly,  at  Augusta, 
Georgia,  on  the  4th  day  of  December  next,  or  at  whatever  time 
and  place  the  majority  of  them  may  designate,  and  to  consult, 
vote  and  determine  on  all  things  that  may  come  before  that  body 
according  to  the  principles  and  constitution  of  this  church  in  the 
Confederate  States  of  America. 

Another  resolution  affirmed  adherence  to  the  constitution  as  it 
then  existed. 

Rev.  L.  Tenney  and  Elder  J.  H.  Dobbin  were  chosen  commis- 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE 

sioners  to  the  Assembly.     The  former  attended  the  meeting,  the 
latter  did  not. 

The  narrative  noted  the  fact,  that  in  the  midst  of  general  cold- 
ness one  church,  Carolina,  showed  signs  of  a  revival,  and  an  ap- 
pointment was  for  a  protracted  meeting  there. 

The  Seventeenth  Meeting  was  held  at  Carolina  church,  April 
17th,  1862.  Present,  four  ministers  and  three  ruling  elders. 
Rev.  Jos.  Boone  was  dismissed  to  Brazos  Presbytery.  Commis- 
sioners were  appointed  to  the  General  Assembly,  but  it  would 
have  been  scarcely  possible  for  them  to  attend.  Appointments 
were  made  for  missionary  work  as  usual.  Mr.  Boone  had  spent 
most  of  the  time  he  was  in  the  Presbytery  at  La  Grange,  preach- 
ing to  that  and  the  Round  Top  churches.  He  was  the  first  Texas 
raised  young  man,  though  not  a  native  of  this  State,  to  enter  the 
ministry  of  our  church. 

The  Eighteenth  Meeting  was  appointed  to  be  held  at  Belton, 
October  30,  1862.  Only  two  ministers  appearing,  preaching  was 
kept  up  each  day  till  Sabbath  night.  In  connection  with  this 
meeting  the  writer  made  one  of  the  horseback  trips  which  made 
those  times  memorable  to  the  ministers  who  were  preaching  here. 
Two  days'  ride  to  the  Presbytery,  thence  to  Chappell  Hill,  three 
days,  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Synod.  Arriving  there,  he 
found  himself  necessary  to  a  quorum,  being  the  only  one  present 
from  this  Presbytery,  and  only  two  other  Presbyteries  represented. 
Returning,  the  Sabbath  was  spent  at  Carolina  to  preach  a  funeral 
sermon  for  some  young  persons  who  had  died  of  disease,  brought 
from  the  army,  the  trip  occupying  three  weeks.  This  was  the 
only  meeting  of  the  Synod  from  November,  i860,  till  May,  1865. 

The  Nineteenth  Meeting  was  at  Oak  Island  church,  April  16th, 
1863.  Present,  three  ministers  and  three  ruling  elders.  The 
usual  routine  was  gone  through.  A  petition  to  the  Synod  was 
adopted  to  change  its  time  of  meeting  from  November  to  October. 
The  older  members  could  not  attend  the  meetings  in  November 
on  account  of  the  danger  of  exposure  to  cold.  The  narrative 
speaks  of  some  encouraging  things,  especially  several  conversions 
reported  at  Austin. 

The  Twentieth  Meeting  at  String  Prairie,  October,  1863,  failed 
for  lack  of  a  quorum.  The  Twenty-first  was  held  at  String  Prai- 
rie, April  2i,  1864.  Present,  three  ministers  and  one  ruling 
elder.  This  meeting  was  saddened  by  two  things.  Bro.  Lough- 
ridge  had  come  from  his  home  at  Blue  Ridge,  but  before  the  time 
for  meeting,  a  messenger  came  to  call  him  home  on  account  of 
the  dangerous  illness  of  his  wife,  He  reached  home  just  in  -time 
to  see  her  breathe  her  last.  The  other  was  the  call  to  commem- 
orate the  death  of  Rev.  Thos.  Alexander,  a  month  before. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  I  3 

Mr.  Alexander  was  born  near  Paris,  Kentucky,  March  29th, 
1800.  He  studied  theology  at  Princeton,  and  spent  a  year  in 
missionary  labor  in  Western  Missouri.  He  preached  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  at  Selma,  Ala.  An  elder  who  had  known  him  there, 
when  he  heard  he  was  in  Texas,  said  he  never  saw  a  better 
trained  Presbyterian  community  than  that  which  grew  up  under 
Mr.  Alexander  at  Selma.  After  spending  several  years  in  In- 
diana, he  came  to  Texas,  as  has  been  said,  in  1854.  After  the 
organization  of  the  McLennan  county  church  he  preached  for  it 
at  two  or  three  points,  and  did  missionary  work  besides,  till  he 
was  called  to  Oak  Island.  He  died  March  26th,  1864.  A  young- 
er brother  of  his  was  one  of  the  early  missionaries  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board  at  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 

Rev.  R.  M.  Loughridge  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of 
the  Creek  Nation.  For  the  first  time  the  election  of  commis- 
sioners to  the  General  Assembly  and  preparation  of  statistical 
report  were  omitted.  The  churches  were  called  upon  to  con- 
tribute for  the  support  of  the  missionaries  in  the  Indian  Terri- 
tory who  were  cut  off  from  help  from  the  east  of  the  Mississippi. 
"Lights  and  shadows."  While  this  meeting  was  in  progress,  the 
members  were  invited  to  attend  the  marriage  of  a  grand-daugh- 
ter of  Father  Wilson  to  a  returned  student. 

The  Twenty-second  Meeting  took  place  at  Carolina  church, 
October  6th,  1864.  Present,  six  ministers  and  five  ruling  elders. 
No  business  of  special  importance  transacted.  The  usual  reports 
were  rendered  on  missionary  labor,  showing  a  good  degree  of  ac- 
tivity in  the  members,  and  the  narrative  had  some  encouraging 
things,  among  others  that  the  people  were  less  disposed  than 
they  had  been  to  make  the  stress  of  the  times  an  excuse  for  not 
attending  to  duty. 

The  Twenty-third  Meeting  was  at  Milford,  March  30th,  1865. 
Present,  three  ministers  and  one  ruling  elder.  Rev.  Hillery 
Mosely  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Eastern  Texas,  and 
permission  given  the  Oak  Island  church  to  employ  him.  He  had 
been  teaching  for  some  time  at  Woodland,  six  miles  from  Oak 
Island  church.  The  name  of  the  first  church  of  McLennan 
county  was  changed  to  Waco.  Revs.  W.  M.  and  S.  A.  King 
were  present  as  corresponding  members.  The  narrative  shows 
the  coloring  that  had  prevailed  largely  during  the  war— a  good 
degree  of  interest  in  the  churches  generally,  some  conversions, 
and  a  desire  to  hear  the  gospel  where  it  is  not  preached,  notwith- 
standing the  wickedness  which  in  such  a  time  largely  prevailed 
in  the  country.  The  Synod  having  been  called  to  meet  in  La 
Grange  in  May,  the  Presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  there.  At 
that  time,  the  union  between  our  General  Assembly  and  the 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE 

United  Synod  having  been  consummated,  Revs.  W.  M.  and  S. 
A.  King,  acccording  to  the  terms  of  that  union,  became  members 
of  the  Presbytery.  Rev.  W.  A.  Smith  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Western  Texas.  In  making  this  trip  to  La  Grange, 
nearly  200  miles  from  Milford,  an  incident  occurred  not  easily 
forgotten.  A  party  of  four  reaching  Cameron  just  at  night,  could 
find  no  place  of  entertainment,  but  were  told  we  could  procure 
lodging  two  miles  farther  on  across  Little  river.  Father  Dickson 
was  feeling  the  infirmities  of  age  and  ill  health,  and  was  nearly 
worn  out.  The  writer,  having  an  acquaintance  in  town  whose 
hospitality  he  thought  he  could  venture  to  test,  took  Father 
Dickson  with  him  to  the  house,  where  we  were  cordially  received. 
Rev.  S.  A.  King  and  Elder  H.  G.  Bostwick  crossed  the  river,  and 
following  the  directions  given,  found  themselves  in  the  dense 
woods  without  a  road  and  darkness  upon  them.  They  were  upon 
what  in  high  water  was  an  island  and  no  road  across  it.  After 
feeling  their  way  about  for  an  hour  or  two,  they  heard  the  bark- 
ing of  a  dog,  and  by  following  the  sound  succeeded  in  getting 
out,  and  arrived  at  their  destination  about  9  o'clock.  Their  host, 
finding  where  they  had  been,  told  them  that,  though  he  had 
hunted  over  that  place  many  a  time,  and  knew  every  foot  of  it, 
if  he  should  get  caught  in  there  at  night,  he  would  not  attempt 
to  get  out  tiil  daylight.  Rev.  S.  A.  King  attended  the  meeting 
of  the  General  Assembly  at  Macon  this  year. 

The  Twenty-fourth  Meeting  was  held  at  the  Oak  Island  church, 
September  28th,  1865.  Present,  five  ministers  and  two  ruling 
elders.  The  stated  clerk,  J.  M.  McChord,  was  residing  at  this 
time  in  Grayson  county.  He  resigned,  and  L-  Tenney  was 
elected  to  the  office.  The  churches  were  charged  to  send  up 
statistical  reports  to  the  next  meeting,  as  this  had  not  been  done 
for  some  time.  A  Domestic  Missionary  Committee  was  appoint- 
ed, but  could  not  accomplish  much.  Mr.  McChord,  though  liv- 
ing at  Sherman,  was  preaching  at  the  Lancaster  church,  and  dur- 
ing the  autumn  held  a  protracted  meeting  there,  at  which  there 
were  sixteen  or  eighteen  added  to  the  church  on  profession  of 
faith — one  bright  spot  in  the  general  darkness.  The  narrative 
speaks  of  the  ministers  being  hampered  in  their  work  by  the 
necessity  of  laboring  at  other  employments  for  support. 

The  Twenty-fifth  Meeting  was  at  Georgetown,  March  29th, 
1866.  The  ministers  present  were  M.  Dickson,  W.  M.  and  S.  A. 
King,  R.  M.  and  A.  J.  Loughridge  and  R.  M.  Overstreet,  Ruling 
Elder  R.  Sansom,  of  Georgetown,  and  A.  McMillan,  of  County 
Line  church,  recently  organized  by  Rev.  H.  Moseley. 

Mr.  Sansom  offered  a  resolution  at  this  meeting  signed  by 
himself  and    Mr.  Overstreet:   "That    this  Presbytery   now    take 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  15 

steps  to  return  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  the  United  States  of  America."  It  was  discussed,  and 
when  brought  to  a  vote  only  those  who  had  signed  it  voted  for 
it.  A  report  on  the  minutes  of  the  General  Assembly  expressed 
hearty  concurrence  in  and  co-operation  with  the  measures  pro- 
prosed  by  the  Assembly  to  get  the  church  in  working  order,  and 
approval  of  the  statements  of  the  Assembly  concerning  our  rela- 
tions to  the  Northern  church,  and  warned  the  members  and  ses- 
sions of  our  churches  against  entertaining  or  employing  any  who 
might  come  among  us  to  divide  and  destroy.  Rev.  R.  M.  Over- 
street  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Indianapolis.  A  let- 
ter was  received  from  Mr.  Baker,  asking  that  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion between  himself  and  the  Austin  church  be  dissolved.  As 
the  Presbytery  had  no  intimation  of  the  wishes  of  the  church  in 
this  matter,  it  was  deferred  to  an  adjourned  meeting  in  Melford, 
April  21st.  At  this  time  a  letter  was  received  from  Rev.  T. 
McRae,  who  was  preaching  to  the  Austin  church,  stating  that 
the  church  gave  consent  to  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion, but  declined  to  send  a  delegate  to  the  meeting  because  it 
disclaimed  all  connection  with  this  Presbytery.  It  was  decided 
to  give  Mr.  Baker  a  letter  dismissing  him  to  Zanesville  Presby- 
tery, but  no  action  was  taken  on  the  dissolution  of  the  pastoral 
relation. 

The  statistical  report  of  this  year,  the  first  sent  to  the  South- 
ern General  Assembly,  showed  the  Presbytery  to  consist  of  ten 
ministers  and  fifteen  churches,  with  335  members.  The  total 
contributions  reported  were  $2,340. 

The  Twenty-sixth  Meeting  was  at  Lancaster,  September  29, 
1866.     Present,  five  ministers  and  three  ruling  elders.     Rev.  S. 

A.  King  was  elected  Commissioner  to  the  General  Assemby,  to 
meet  in  November,  in  Memphis.  Jas.  C.  Milford,  was  alternate 
elder,  and  attended  the  Assembly.  The  Presbytery  continued 
to  urge  upon  the  churches  more  earnest  action  in  every  depart- 
ment of  Christian  work.  Details  would  unnecessarily  encum- 
ber these  pages.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  address  the 
churches  on  the  subject  of  representation  in  the  Presbytery. 

The  Twenty-seventh  Meeting  was  held  at  String  Prairie  church, 
April  4,  1867.  Present,  five  ministers  and  two  ruling  elders.   Rev. 

B.  Y.  George  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Londonderry, 
P.  C,  U.  S.  A.  This  brother  took  this  road  to  Missouri,  as 
he  could  not  at  that  time  get  a  letter  to  the  portion  of  the 
church    in  Missouri  which   was  being  treated  as  in  rebellion. 

The  Twenty-eighth  Meeting  took  place  at  Eutaw,  near  where 
Kosse  now  stands,  August  15,  1867.  Present,  seven  ministers 
and   three  ruling  elders.     Mr.   Dickson    and  Ruling  Elder    W. 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE 

T.  M.  Dickson,  of  Oak  Island  church,  were  elected  commission- 
ers to  the  General  Assembly.  The  latter  attended  the  meeting 
at  Nashville,  Tennessee.  After  this  the  General  Assembly  met 
in  May.  The  Synod  at  its  meeting  in  July  had  appointed  an 
evangelist  for  each  of  the  Presbyteries;  this  Presbytery,  Rev. 
S.  A.  King.  The  Presbytery  recognized  the  appointment,  and 
authorized  the  evangelist  to  organize  churches,  and  in  making 
appointments  for  vacant  churches  requested  those  appointed  to 
meet  the  evangelist  on  his  visits  to  the  several  places.  Appoint- 
ments were  also  made  according  to  the  order  of  the  General  As- 
sembly of  Ruling  Elders,  to  hold  services  in  the  vacant  churches. 
No  report  of  this  kind  of  work  done,  however,  appears  ever  to 
have  been  made.  Mr.  King  spent  several  months  in  the  work, 
giving,  however,  a  part  of  this  time  to  the  churches  of  Milford 
and  Waco,  which  he  had  been  previously  supplying.  He  organ- 
ized two  churches,  Corsicana  and  Dallas.  There  had  been  a 
church  organized  at  Dallas  several  years  before,  but  it  had  dis- 
appeared. Most  of  his  time  was  spent,  however,  in  building  up 
the  weak  churches  already  existing.  Austin  and  Georgetown, 
at  this  time,  required  especially  this  kind  of  work. 

The  new  book  of  Church  Order  having  been  adopted  by  the 
Assembly  of  1866,  came  before  the  Presbytery.  It  was  voted 
that  in  view  of  the  unsettled  state  of  the  church,  it  would  be 
well  to  defer  it  to  a  more  convenient  season;  also  that  as  it  had 
been  so  short  a  time  before  us  we  decline  to  vote  on  the  question 
of  its  adoption. 

On  the  subject  of  benevolence,  it  was  recommended  that  each 
church  should  have  a  book  in  which  should  be  enrolled  the 
names  of  those  who  would  give  5  cents  a  week,  those  who  would 
give  10  cents  a  week,  and  so  on  up  to  25  cents  a  week.  This 
was  to  be  in  addition  to  the  quarterly  collections  enjoined  by  the 
General  Assembly. 

The  first  pro  rata  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  was  held  at  Rob- 
inson, February  15,  1868,  to  dismiss  Rev.  B.  Y.  George  to  the 
Presbytery  of  Missouri. 

The  Twenty-ninth  Meeting  was  held  at  the  County  Line 
church,  April  3d,  1868.  Present,  six  ministers  and  five  ruling 
elders.  Rev.  Neill  McDonald  was  received  from  the  Presbytery 
of  Fayetteville.  One  part  of  the  business  of  this  meeting  was 
the  adoption  of  a  memorial  of  the  life  and  services  of  Rev.  Hugh 
Wilson,  who  had  died  on  the  eighth  of  March.  A  committee  of 
sustentation,  to  act  in  concert  with  the  Assembly's  Executive 
Committee,  was  appointed,  the  beginning  of  the  present  system 
of  corresponding  committees.  The  narrative  says:  Owing  to  the 
prostration  of  every  kind  of  business,  and  the  uncertainty  which 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  1 7 

hangs  like  a  pall  over  the  future,  the  energies  of  the  church  are 
to  a  great  extent  paralyzed,  yet  a  large  majority  of  our  churches 
are  carrying  out  the  plan  of  systematic  benevolence,  etc.  Rev. 
H.  Moseley  was  commissioner  to  the  General  Assembly. 

Rev.  Hugh  Wilson  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  March  16th, 
1794.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  Rev.  L>  F.  Wilson,  of  Fourth 
Creek  church,  of  whom  an  account  may  be  found  in  Foote's 
Sketches  of  North  Carolina.  He  was  educated  at  the  College  of 
New  Jersey,  and  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton.  He 
was  married  at  Princeton,  June  12,  1822,  to  Miss  Kthelinda  Hall. 
Soon  after  he  went  as  a  missionary  to  the  Choctaw  Indians,  and 
three  years  after  established  a  mission  station,  on  Cane  creek, 
among  the  Chickasaws,  about  eighteen  miles  from  Tuscumbia, 
Alabama,  where  he  remained  about  seven  years.  When  they 
sold  their  lands,  he  removed  to  Tennessee,  where  he  resided  five 
years,  preaching  to  the  Mountain  church  (said  to  be  the  church 
now  called  Mt.  Carmel).  In  1837,  he  visited  Texas,  coming  as 
far  west  as  Washington  county.  He  removed  his  family  to  the 
State  in  1838.  Stopping  for  some  time  at  San  Augustine,  he 
organized  there,  May,  1838,  the  first  Presbyterian  church  in  the 
State.  In  February,  1839,  he  organized  the  church  at  Inde- 
pendence, and  April  3d,  1840,  with  Revs.  W.  Y.  Allen  and  John 
McCullough  and  Elder  John  McFarland,  who  had  come  west 
with  him,  from  San  Augustine,  organized  the  Presbytery  of 
Brazos.  He  organized  the  church  at  Gay  Hill,  so  long  the 
charge  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  W.  Miller,  and  resided  there  for  some 
time.  In  1850,  he  removed  to  Burleson  county,  where,  in  1852, 
he  organized  the  String  Prairie  church,  to  which  he  continued 
to  preach  till  just  before  his  death,  which  occurred  after  a  short 
illness,  on  the  8th  of  March,  1868.  He  was  married  in  1858,  to 
his  second  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Reid,  widow  of  a  missionary  in 
the  Indian  Territory,  and  sister  of  Revs.  R.  M.  and  A.  J.  Lough- 
ridge.     One  daughter  alone  of  his  family  is  now  living. 

Not  alone  the  connection  of  Mr.  Wilson  with  the  early  history 
of  our  church  in  the  State,  but  his  personal  character  and  the  af- 
fection he  inspired  in  every  one  who  knew  him,  made  this  sepa- 
ration more  than  ordinarily  a  sad  one  to  those  who  remained  be- 
hind. He  was  a  singularly  modest  and  retiring  man,  preferring 
the  seclusion  of  a  country  charge,  yet  he  was  a  forcible  and  in- 
structive preacher,  and  faithful,  working  and  successful  pastor. 
His  end  was  peace. 

The  Thirtieth  Meeting  was  held  at  Milford  August  27,  1868. 
Present,  eight  ministers  and  seven  elders.  The  Corsicana  church 
was  received. 

The  Thirty-first  Meeting  was  held  at  Carolina  church  April 


1 8  HISTORY  OF  THE 

15,  1869.  Present,  six  ministers  and  eight  ruling  elders.  Rev. 
J.  A,  Smylie  was  at  this  meeting,  and  the  Milford  church  was 
given  leave  to  employ  him.  Rev.  T.  J.  Bonner,  of  the  U.  R. 
Presbyterian  church  was  a  corresponding  member.  Mr.  Bonner 
during  the  time  he  preached  at  the  County  Line  church  was 
quite  a  regular  attendant  at  the  meetings  of  the  Presbytery.  The 
standing  rules  of  the  Presbytery  were  collected  and  embodied. 
A  report  to  the  General  Assembly  on  Sabbath-schools,  shows  in 
seven  schools  about  400  scholars,  the  others  churches  working 
with  Union  schools,  or  for  lack  of  church  buildings  or  other 
causes  having  no  schools.  This  is  the  first  report  to  the  Assem- 
bly on  this  subject.  Rev.  A.  J.  Loughridge  and  Elder  R.  H.  Orr, 
of  Milford,  attended  the  General  Assembly  this  year. 

The  Thirty-second  Meeting  took  place  at  Waco,  October  28, 
1869.  Present,  including  those  received,  ten  ministers  and 
eight  elders.  Three  ministers  absent.  Revs.  J.  A.  Smylie,  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Tombigbee,  J.  A.  Walker,  of  South  Alabama  and 
Robert  McCoy,  of  Bethel,  were  received.  Dr.  A.  A.  Porter,  hav- 
ing visited  the  State  in  behalf  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee 
in  the  fall  of  1868,  had  now  returned  to  Texas,  and  permission 
was  given  to  the  Austin  church  to  employ  him.  The  name  of 
the  String  Prairie  church  was  changed  to  Hugh  Wilson. 

The  subject  of  the  pastoral  relation  came  before  the  body  on 
resolutions  of  the  Assembly  and  Synod.  It  was  answered  that 
the  weakness  of  our  churches  prevented  the  formation  of  the  re- 
lation, that  there  was  careful  Presbyterial  supervision  of  the 
working  of  the  system  of  State  supplies,  and  the  attention  of 
the  stronger  churches  was  called  to  the  matter.  The  church  at 
large  was  at  this  time  calling  loudly  for  active  labor  and  liberal 
contributions  in  all  departments,  and  the  Presbytery  responded 
heartily,  urging  upon  the  churches  their  liberal  and  active  par- 
ticipation. The  subject  of  an  endowment  of  $50,000  for  the 
Publication  Committee  was  presented,  and  an  effort  resolved  on 
to  endeavor  to  raise  for  the  purpose  an  amount  equal  to  20  cents 
per  communicant. 

The  Thirty-third  Meeting  was  held  at  Austin,  April  20,  1870. 
Present,  six  ministers  and  six  elders.  Dr.  A.  A.  Porter  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Presbytery  of  South  Carolina.  R.  M.  Lough- 
ridge  was  dismissed  to  Western  Texas  Presbytery,  and  Mr.  Mc- 
Coy to  Eastern  Texas.  A.  J.  Loughridge  accepted  a  call  to  the 
pastorate  of  the  Hugh  Wilson  church,  and  was  duly  installed  on 
the  first  Sabbath  of  July.  Committees  were  appointed  to  visit  the 
churches  receiving  aid  from  the  sustentation  fund  to  stimulate 
them  to  do  their  whole  duty  in  sustaining  themselves.  The 
new  book  of  Church  Order  was  before  the  body.     The  judgment 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  19 

was  expressed  that  no  change  should  be  made  in  the  dresent 
form  of  government  and  book  of  discipline.  S.  A.  King  and 
Elder  R.  G.  Cooke  went  to  the  General  Assembly. 

The  Thirty-fourth  Meeting  was  held  at  Oak  Island,  November 
1,  1870.  Present,  twelve  ministers  and  ten  ruling  elders.  No 
ministers  absent.  This  full  attendance  was  partly  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  Synod  was  to  meet  there  just  after  the  Presby- 
tery. The  Synod,  with  the  consent  of  the  Presbytery,  trans- 
ferred the  churches  of  La  Grange  and  Round  Top  at  their  own 
request  to  the  Brazos  Presbytery.  The  Richland  church  in  the 
western  part  of  Navarro  county,  organized  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Smylie 
with  fourteen  members,  was  received.  The  narrative  without 
specifying  particulars,  speaks  of  "delightful  revivals  in  several 
of  the  churches."  In  view  of  rapidly  increasing  immigration  to 
the  country,  Rev.  McDonald  was  commissioned  evangelist  for  the 
unoccupied  territory  east  of  the  Brazos  for  the  unemployed  part 
of  his  time,  and  Rev.  L.  Tenney  for  that  west  of  the  Brazos.  The 
former  resigned  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  and  dur- 
ing the  year  removed  from  Lancaster  to  the  Unity  church  in 
Coryell  county.  The  latter  having  only  one  Sabbath  per  month 
unoccupied,  organized  in  the  summer  following  the  Unity 
church. 

The  second  pro  re  nata  meeting  was  held  at  Milford,  February 
8,  1871,  to  change  the  time  of  the  spring  meeting  to  the  Thurs- 
day before  the  first  Sabbath  of  April.  This  made  the  trip  to  the 
meeting  at  Lancaster  a  remarkable  one  on  account  of  the  rain 
and  mud  encountered.  Dr.  Porter  traveled  from  Austin  to  Waco 
in  the  stage,  from  there  Mr.  Baswick  took  him  and  Rev.  S.  A. 
King  to  Milford  in  his  hack.  The  roads  had  become  so  heavy 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  make  the  rest  of  the  trip  on  horse- 
back. The  writer  had  held  a  meeting  at  the  North  Bosque 
church  the  previous  Sabbath,  and  arrived  at  Milford  in  the  rain 
Tuesday  about  noon.  Wednesday  evening  he,  Dr.  Porter,  Mr. 
King  and  Mr.  Loughridge  rode  out  six  miles  to  Chambers  creek. 
Thursday  noon  they  stopped  at  a  house  some  miles  above  Wax- 
ahachie  to  eat  their  lunch;  the  ground  being  too  wet  to  partake 
of  it  in  the  usual  way,  they  found  place  in  a  friendly  house.  Be- 
fore they  were  ready  to  start  it  commenced  raining — a  steady 
down  pour  till  nearly  night.  The  family  giving  up  the  main 
room  to  the  guests,  did  the  best  they  could  in  the  shed  room. 
Just  at  night  a  young  stranger  also  applied  for  shelter.  This 
gave  a  prospect  of  a  crowd  in  one  bed,  which  one  of  our  party 
avoided  by  improvising  a  pallet  before  the  fire.  Arriving  at 
Lancaster  at  noon  on  Friday,  it  was  found  that  the  Presbytery 
had  adjourned  till  night,  the  afternoon  being  thus  lost  for  work. 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE 

At  night,  March  30th,  the  opening  sermon  was  preached.  On 
Saturday  the  business  was  gone  through  with  in  haste,  but  in 
order  and  without  any  slighting.  Not  much  time  was  con- 
sumed in  speech  making.  There  were  present  seven  ministers 
and  four  ruling  elders.  The  subject  of  colportage  had  been  be- 
fore the  body  for  two  or  three  meetings,  and  an  effort  made  to 
set  a  colporteur  at  work,  but  the  committee  were  compelled  to 
report  in  substance,  that  at  present  it  seemed  impracticable.  Dr. 
Porter  had  been  appointed  to  preach  on  the  subject  of  "A  call  to 
the  ministry."  He  stated  that  in  studying  the  subject  to  pre- 
pare the  sermon  his  own  views  had  undergone  a  change  and  he 
was  not  prepared  to  preach.  The  appointment  was  continued. 
Dr.  Porter  and  Elder  E.  H.  Carter  were  elected  commissioners  to 
the  General  Assembly.  An  arrangement  was  made  to  supply 
each  minister  and  ruling  elder  with  a  copy  of  the  minutes  of  the 
Assembly. 

The  Thirty-sixth  Meeting  was  at  Carolina  church,  October  28, 

187 1.  Present,  seven  ministers  and  nine  elders.  The  churches 
of  Bethel  and  Unity  were  received.  Rev.  M.  C.  Conoley  was  re- 
ceived from  the  Presbytery  of  Brazos.  It  is  proper  to  state,  to 
show  the  effort  of  the  Presbytery  to  bring  and  keep  the  churches 
up  to  a  high  standard  of  duty  in  giving,  that  an  elaborate  report 
was  made  at  this  meeting,  on  the  whole  subject  of  systematic 
benevolence,  showing  just  what  each  church  had  given  in  the 
previous  five  years,  and  comparing  it  with  what  ought  to  be. 

Dr.  Porter  preached  his  sermon  on  A  Call  to  the  Ministry. 
The  sermon  took  the  ground  that  the  usual  view  that  a  call  to 
the  ministry  is  a  special  and  immediate  work  of  the  spirit,  is  an 
error,  and  that  where  there  is  a  need  of  laborers  in  the  vineyard, 
the  possession  of  the  needful  talents  is  in  itself  a  call  to  the  work. 
The  sermon  was  published  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review, 
and  the  Presbytery  had  500  copies  printed  from  the  types  of  the 
Review  and  distributed  among  the  churches.  This  publication 
led  to  a  discussion  of  the  subject  in  the  Review  between  Dr.  Por- 
ter and  Dr.  J.  B.  Adger. 

The  Thirty -seventh   Meeting  took  place  at  Belton,  April  18, 

1872.  Present,  nine  ministers  and  six  elders.  VVaxahachie 
church  was  received.  Commissions  had  been  appointed  at  the 
fall  meeting  to  visit  all  the  churches,  and  were  appointed  again 
at  this  meeting.  The  subject  of  a  new  arrangement  of  Presby- 
teries and  division  of  the  Synod  had  been  before  the  body  for 
several  sessions,  but  came  to  nothing.  The  commissioners  to  the 
General  Assembly  this  year  were  J.  A.  Smylie  and  Champe 
Carter,  Sr. 

The  Thirty-eighth  Meeting  was  held  at  Hugh  Wilson  church, 


PRESBYTER V   OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  21 

October  10,  1872.  Present,  eight  ministers  and  six  elders. 
Mayesfield  church  was  received.  J.  M.  Robinson,  a  licentiate  of 
South  Carolina  Presbytery,  received  permission  to  labor  in  the 
Presbytery.  R.  O.  Williams  was  received  under  care,  as  a  can- 
didate for  the  ministry.  He  had  studied  for  a  year  under  direc- 
tion of  the  Committee  of  Education,  and  was  considered  a  young 
man  of  much  promise,  but  at  the  fall  meeting  of  the  next  year 
his  death  was  recorded.  The  present  body  of  Standing  Rules, 
variously  amended,  however,  since,  was  adopted. 

The  Thirty-ninth  Meeting  was  at  Waco,  April  10,  1873. 
Present,  nine  ministers  and  eleven  ruling  elders.  Among  the 
visitors  were  Revs.  E.  B.  Wright,  of  Austin  Presbytery,  and  W. 
Dickson,  of  Upper  Missouri  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.  Mr.  Wright  "ad- 
dressed the  Presbytery,  giving  expression  to  strong  fraternal 
feeling."     A  resolution,  reciprocating  it,  was  adopted. 

Caldwell  church  (which  afterwards  became  Yellow  Prairie 
church)  was  received.  Rev.  J.  D.  Porter  was  given  permission 
to  labor  in  the  Presbytery  at  Burnet  and  Lampasas.  It  does  not 
appear  that  he  ever  rendered  any  report  of  labor  there.  Mr.  J. 
A.  Woodburn,  a  licentiate,  was  received  on  certificate  from  Wil- 
mington Presbytery.  He  never  reported  to  the  Presbytery  ex- 
cept to  ask  a  dismission  to  Mecklenburg,  which  was  given  him 
in  April,  1875. 

Rev.  A.  A.  Porter,  D.  D.,  having  died  at  his  home  in  Austin, 
Sabbath,  December  8,  1872,  an  obituary  of  him  was  adopted. 
Dr.  Porter  was  born  at  Asheville,  North  Carolina,  October  12, 
18 1 7,  but  removed  to  South  Carolina,  and  afterwards  to  Alabama, 
while  still  a  boy.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  with  the  first  hon- 
ors in  1836.  He  studied  theology  at  Columbia,  and  was  licensed 
by  Tuscaloosa  Presbytery  in  October,  1842.  He  preached  in 
several  places  until,  in  1848,  he  became  pastor  of  Globe  Street 
church  in  Charleston.  In  1851,  he  took  charge  of  the  church  in 
Selma,  Ala.,  and  continued  there  till  compelled,  in  i860,  to  give 
up  pastoral  work  by  ill  health.  He  then  edited  the  Southern 
Presbyterian  till  the  close  of  the  war.  After  preaching  for  a  time 
in  Spartanburg,  he  visited  Texas  under  direction  of  the  Home 
Mission  Committee  in  the  fall  of  1868,  being  present  at  the  meet- 
ing of  the  Synod  that  year.  The  next  May  he  removed  to  Texas 
and  entered  upon  the  work  in  Austin,  which  continued  to  the 
end  of  his  life.  Abundant  testimony  is  borne  by  his  co-laborers 
in  South  Carolina  and  Alabama  to  his  eminent  ability  and  faith- 
fulness in  his  work. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  discussion  between  Dr.  Porter 
and  Dr.  Adger  in  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Review  of  the  subject 
of  A  Call  to  the  Ministry.     In  a  note  to  Dr.  Adger's  last  article, 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE 

which  appeared  after  Dr.  Porter's  death,  he  paid  a  hearty  tribute 
to  Dr.  Porter's  worth,  and  said  that  since  the  death  of  Dr.  Thorn- 
well,  he  was  second  in  ability  to  no  man  in  the  church.  Though 
laboring  under  many  disadvantages  in  Texas,  he  was  equal  to  the 
expectations  formed  concerning  him.  He  had  a  power  in  setting 
forth  the  truth  plainly  and  forcibly,  seldom  equalled.  Of  the 
pungency  of  his  preaching  a  judgment  may  be  formed  from  the 
remark  of  one  who,  after  hearing  him,  said  that  he  left  less 
ground  for  the  sinner  to  stand  upon  than  any  man  he  ever  heard. 
The  last  weeks  of  his  life  were  a  time  of  much  suffering;  but  he 
left  abundant  testimony  to  the  faithfulness  of  the  Savior  he  had 
so  long  trusted  and  so  faithfully  and  ably  preached. 

Rev.  Neill  McDonald  and  Ruling  Elder  J.  W.  Shive  repre- 
sented the  Presbytery  in  the  Assembly  at  Little  Rock. 

The  Fortieth  Meeting  was  appointed  to  be  at  Austin,  Novem- 
ber 2d,  1873,  but  high  waters  prevented.  A  pro  re  nata  meeting 
was  called.  It  was  held  in  Houston,  December  4th,  and  re- 
solved "That  this  shall  be  the  time  and  place  of  holding  the  reg- 
ular meeting."  Present,  seven  ministers  and  two  ruling  elders. 
Rev.  H.  McDonald  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Eastern 
Texas. 

Efforts  had  been  continued  at  the  successive  meetings  to  have 
some  arrangement  to  employ  an  evangelist.  At  this  meeting, 
the  Sustentation  Committee  was  directed  to  employ  Rev.  Dr. 
Byers,  if  his  services  could  be  procured,  but  no  way  was  devised 
to  secure  a  salary. 

The  Forty- first  Meeting  took  place  at  Oak  Island  church, 
March  26th,  1874.  Present,  six  ministers  and  nine  ruling  elders. 
Six  ministers  absent.  J.  A.  McMurray  and  W.  H.  McCullough 
were  received  as  candidates  for  the  ministry.  Fort  Worth 
church,  organized  by  a  committee,  J.  A.  Smylie  chairman,  was 
received.  Rev.  W.  M.  Kilpatrick,  of  West  Texas  Presbytery, 
received  permission  to  labor,  and  supplied  the  Fort  Worth 
church  for  some  time.  Rev.  Michael  Dickson  having  died  on 
the  8th  of  March,  a  memorial  of  him  was  placed  on  record.  He 
was  born  February  8th,  1797,  consequently  was  seventy-seven 
years  and  one  month  old.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  in  South 
Carolina,  June,  1820.  He  preached  for  some  time  in  South  Car- 
olina and  Georgia,  afterwards  in  Alabama,  whence  he  removed 
to  Texas  in  1851.  He  lived  at  Springfield,  then  a  flourishing 
county  seat,  now,  in  consequence  of  the  railroad's  passing  near, 
a  ploughed  field,  where  he  and  his  daughters  were  engaged  in 
teaching.  Soon  after  the  organization  of  the  Milford  church,  he 
removed  to  that  place,  and  supplied  the  church  till  1862.  He 
was  also  actively  engaged  in  missionary  work.       He  had  no 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  23 

charge  after  '63,  but  preached  as  opportunity  offered  and  his 
strength  permitted.  "He  was  a  man  pre-eminent  for  his  spirit- 
uality and  godly  walk."  Presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  at  Wax- 
ahachie  May  30th.  At  this  adjourned  meeting,  Rev.  H.  B.  Rose 
was  received  from  Abingdon  Presbytery.'  The  Marlin  church, 
organized  by  H.  Moseley  and  I,.  Tenuey,  was  received,  and  li- 
centiate W.  S.  Johnson  received  from  Eastern  Texas  Presbytery, 
and  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  Waxahachie  church.  H. 
Moseley  and  Elder  P.  McCammon,  of  Corsicana,  went  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembley. 

A  pro  re  nata  meeting  was  held  in  Waco,  August  12th,  1874, 
to  receive  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs,  and  appoint  an  evangelist,  if  the 
way  should  be  found  clear.  Five  ministers  and  six  elders  were 
present.  Mr.  Dobbs  was  received  from  Ebenezer  Presbytery, 
but  no  evangelist  was  appointed. 

The  Forty-second  Meeting  was  at  Corsicana,  October  22d, 
1874.  Present,  ten  ministers  and  twelve  elders.  Rev.  W.  M. 
Kilpatrick  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Texas. 
The  Weatherford  church,  organized  by  a  committee,  S.  A.  King, 
chairman,  was  received.  An  evangelist,  Rev.  R.  Mclnnis,  was 
elected.  The  Presbytery  not  being  prepared  to  pay  any  definite 
part  of  the  salary,  the  Assembly's  committee  was  asked  to  as- 
sume it.  But  in  this  case,  as  they  had  done  before,  they  de- 
clined, as  it  was  not  in  accordance  with  their  instructions  as  to 
the  manner  of  carrying  on  their  work. 

The  Forty-third  Meeting  took  place  at  the  Carolina  church, 
April  15th,  1875. 

The  churches  of  Robinson,  Kosse,  Alvarado,  Eureka  Valley, 
and  Comanche,  were  received.  One  candidate  of  the  Presbytery 
had  just  finished  his  first  year  in  the  Seminary.  The  Presbytery 
had  pledged  itself  to  pay  his  expenses,  and  the  churches  fur- 
nished $170,  and  paid  $25  besides,  to  the  central  committee. 
Eight  churches  were  added  to  the  list  during  the  year,  and  the 
increase  of  the  number  of  communicants  reported  was  226,  over 
27  per  cent.  Rev.  Neill  McDonald  had  died  February  10th.  He 
was  born  and  reared  in  North  Carolina,  educated  at  Union  Sem- 
inary, and  had  preached  about  twenty-five  years  in  Fayetteville 
Presbytery  previous  to  his  coming  to  Texas,  in  the  winter  of  '67 
and  '68.  Till  the  fall  of  1871,  he  lived  at  Lancaster,  supplied 
^the  church  there,  and  also  preached  at  Dallas,  and  did  other 
missionary  work.  He  took  charge  of  the  Unity  church  in  '71, 
giving  it  half  his  time,  preaching  also  to  the  North  Bosque 
church,  and  doing  missionary  work.  He  organized  the  Coman- 
che church  in  December,  '74,  and  it  was  in  returning  from  an 
appointment  there  that  he  took  the  disease  that  terminated  his 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE 

life.  He  was  a  modest,  unassuming  man,  but  an  earnest,  faith- 
ful and  sound  preacher.     He  was  in  his  sixty-third  year. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting,  in  Austin,  May  7th  to  9th,  Rev.  J. 
H.  Grasty,  D.  D.,  was  received  from  Louisville  Presbytery,  and 
installed  pastor  of  Austin  church. 

A  resolution  was  passed  approving  the  action  of  the  committee 
that  had  been  appointed  by  the  last  Assembly  to  confer  with  a 
committee  of  the  Northern  Assembly  on  the  subject  of  fraternal 
relations. 

An  overture  to  the  Assembly  was  adopted,  asking  that  there 
be  a  change  in  the  policy  of  the  Assembly  on  the  subject  of 
evangelistic  work;  the  Assembly  to  assume  the  work  in  such 
fields  as  this,  and  not  expecting  the  Presbytery  to  pay  the  salary 
of  the  evangelists,  or  a  large  proportion  of  it.  The  overture 
states,  among  other  things,  that  "The  territory  is  about  equal  in 
extent  to  one  of  the  older  States.  Of  the  twenty-nine  churches, 
only  seven  own  houses  of  worship,  some  of  them  unfinished,  and 
one  or  two  built  years  ago,  inadequate  to  their  present  wants. 
Many  of  the  members  have  been  but  a  short  time  in  the  country, 
did  not  bring  much  pecuniary  means,  and  are  struggling  to  get 
their  houses  in  a  condition  that  they  may  live  in  some  comfort. 
The  complaint  of  poverty  is  much  better  founded  than  if  there 
was  not  thus  an  urgent  call  for  the  investment  of  every  dollar 
beyond  what  is  needed  for  their  daily  wants."  The  answer  of 
the  Assembly  was  to  authorize  the  committee  to  construe  liberally 
the  provision  for  exceptional  cases  in  its  application  to  this  Pres- 
bytery. Commissioners  to  the  General  Assembly,  L,.  Tenney 
and  T.  L.  C.  Means. 

The  Forty-fourth  Meeting  took  place  at  the  Hugh  Wilson 
church,  October  29,  1875.  Present  during  the  sessions  thirteen 
ministers  and  sixteen  elders.  Rev.  G.  P.  Richardson  was  re- 
ceived from  North  Mississippi,  and  Rev.  L.  D.  Lea  from  Knox- 
ville;  Licentiate  J.  M.  Robinson  from  South  Carolina,  and  the 
churches  Nazareth,  Ennis  and  Cleburne  enrolled. 

The  support  of  candidate  McMurray  had  been  taken  up  by  the 
Assembly's  committee,  but  the  churches  were  urged  to  contribute 
liberally  toward  it,  and  the  whole  subject  of  systematic  benevo- 
lence was  pressed  upon  them  as  it  had  been  so  often  done.  Rev. 
H.  Moseley  was  appointed  evangelist  (during  the  adjourned  ses- 
sion at  Austin)  and  the  sustentation  committee  directed,  in  case 
he  did  not  accept,  to  look  for  another  man,  and  if  one  were  found, 
to  call  a  pro  re  nata  meeting  to  make  the  necessary  arrangements. 
A  meeting  was  called  for  January  20,  in  Waco,  but  there  were 
present  at  it,  besides  the  Rev.  H.  McDonald,  whom  it  was  pro- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  2$ 

posed  to  appoint,  only  W.  M.  and  S.  A.  King  and   three  elders. 
.Nothing  was  done. 

The  Forty-fifth  Meeting  took  place  at  Milford,  April  6,  1876. 
Present,  ten  ministers  and  fourteen  ruling  elders.  Rev.  W.  M. 
Kilpatrick  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Texas. 
Rev.  W.  F.  Gillespie  was  received  from  Presbytery  of  Louisiana. 
G.  R.  Waddell  was  received  under  care  as  a  candidate.  Alvarado 
church  was  dissolved  and  the  members  transferred  to  the  Cle- 
burne church.  The  General  Assembly  of  1875  having  taken 
favorable  action  concerning  the  Pan-Presbyterian  Alliance,  a 
paper  was  offered,  requesting  the  Assembly  to  refuse  to  join  the 
alliance.  The  vote  on  the  paper  was  seven  ayes  and  sixteen 
nays.  Rev.  W.  H.  Vernor,  then  of  the  Brazos  Presbytery,  was 
present  and  made  an  animated  address  on  the  subject  of  estab- 
lishing a  Presbyterian  Female  College  in  the  State.  The  Pres- 
bytery gave  a  hearty  and  favorable  response. 

The  publication  committee,  W.  S.  Johnson,  chairman,  had  at 
this  time  a  depository  at  Waxahachie,  and  two  colporteurs  were 
employed  for  a  time.  Rev.  J.  M.  McChord  died  on  the  22d  of 
March.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev.  James  McChord,  of  Lexington. 
He  was  educated  at  Hanover  College,  and  spent  the  early  years 
of  his  ministry  in  Indiana.  His  coming  to  this  State  has  been 
mentioned  in  these  pages.  He  lived  mostly  at  or  near  Cotton 
Gin,  except  a  short  time  at  Sherman.  He  supplied  statedly  for 
a  time  the  churches  of  Chambers  Creek  and  Lancaster.  Other- 
wise he  appears  to  have  preached  only  as  occasional  opportuni- 
ties offered  and  as  he  was  appointed  to  special  services  by  the 
Presbytery.  He  served  as  stated  clerk  from  April,  1861,  to  Sep- 
tember, 1865.  "He  was  a  gentle,  amiable,  humble  Christian, 
and  in  his  earlier  years  an  efficient  and  active  minister."  He 
was  about  sixty-five  years  of  age.  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  was  elected 
evangelist.  Commissioners  to  the  general  assembly — S.  A.  King, 
J.  H.  Hutchins. 

At  a  pro  re  nata  meeting,  at  Mexia,  June  23,  present  three 
minister  and  one  elder,  the  pastoral  relation  between  Dr.  J.  S. 
Grasty  and  the  Austin  church,  was,  on  joint  petition  of  pastor 
and  people,  dissolved. 

The  Forty-sixth  Meeting  took  place  at  Waxahachie,  October 
27,  1876.  Present,  ten  ministers  and  twelve  ruling  elders.  Rev. 
J.  S.  Grasty  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Missouri.  The 
churches  of  Mexia,  Rockdale,  Mizpeh  (Hill  county),  and  Gra- 
ham were  enrolled.  The  evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs  made  a  report 
of  his  work.  He  had  held  122  services  at  about  twenty  different 
places;  preaching  in  private  houses,  school  houses,  under  arbors 
and  in  the  woods,  and  in  ten  counties;  had  assisted   in  organiz- 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ing  three  churches;  had  received  seventy-eight  members,  forty- 
eight  of  them  on  profession  of  faith;  baptized  fourteen  adults 
and  six  infants;  had  elements  for  organizing  three  more  churches 
and  had  engagements  to  preach  and  organize.  He  had  traveled 
some  2200  miles;  he  had  spent  three  months  in  finding  out  what 
was  to  be  done,  and  when  the  field  opened  up  was  bewildered  at 
its  magnitude.  Financially,  $80  had  been  collected,  with  about 
$20  promised.  With  the  report  he  offered  his  resignation  as 
evangelist,  which  was  accepted.  Since  the  spring  of  1869  the 
stated  clerk  (not  ex  officio)  had  held  the  position  of  chairman  of 
the  sustentation  committee.  In  connection  with  his  resignation 
of  the  office  of  evengelist,  Mr.  Dobbs  proposed  a  new  plan  for 
the  sustentation  work:  That  a  committee  of  five  members,  living 
near  each  other,  should  be  appointed;  that  this  committee  should 
be  empowered  to  divide  up  our  territory  into  convenient  fields  of 
labor  and  employ  ministers  and  settle  them  in  these  fields,  were 
the  main  features.  The  plan  was  adopted,  and  Revs.  C.  H.  Dobbs 
and  S.  A.  King,  and  Elders  F.  H.  Carter,  W.  F.  Hague  and  Jno. 
Robinson  were  elected  the  committee.  The  work  of  thus  divid- 
ing up  the  Presbytery  was  found  encumbered  with  greater  diffi- 
culties than  was  anticipated,  but  the  efforts  made  and  continued 
since,  to  group  the  fields,  have  doubtless  accomplished  much 
good.  At  a  brief  session  at  Dallas,  during  sessions  of  Synod, 
Rev.  O.  F.  Rogers  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Chicka- 
saw. 

The  Forty-seventh  Meeting  was  held  at  Georgetown,  April 
26th,  1877.  Present  during  the  sessions,  nineteen  ministers  and 
eighteen  ruling  elders.  The  following  ministers  were  received: 
B.  D.  Thomas  and  W.  W.  Brimm,  from  Presbytery  of  Eastern 
Texas;  R.  M.  Loughridge,  from  Western  Texas;  R.  K.  Smoot, 
D.  D.,  from  Muhlenburg,  and  A.  S.  Doak,  from  Holston.  Can- 
didate J.  A.  McMurray  was  licensed.  L-  T.  Wilson,  a  candidate, 
was  received  on  certificate  from  East  Hanover  and  licensed,  and 
as  he  was  expected  to  labor  in  a  new  field  on  the  frontier,  was 
ordained.  S.  M.  Frierson  was  received  as  a  candidate.  He  did 
not  carry  out  his  intention  of  preparing  for  the  ministry. 

Rev.  W.  F.  Gillespie  was  installed  pastor  of  Georgetown  church, 
and  arrangements  were  made  for  the  installation  of  Dr.  Smoot  at 
Austin,  and  Mr.  Brimm  at  Fort  Worth. 

The  new  book  of  Church  Order  was  before  the  church  and  the 
Presbytery  voted  against  its  adoption,  16  to  15. 

The  narrative  stated  that  at  this  time,  of  the  thirty-six  churches, 
three  have  preaching  every  Sabbath,  ten  twice  a  month,  nineteen 
once  a  month,  and  four  none.  Commissioners  to  the  General 
Assembly,  A.  J.  Loughridge  and  E.  H.  Carter. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  2J 

At  a  pro  re  nata  meeting  in  Waco,  June  28th,  L.  B.  Chaney, 
candidate,  was  received  from  Lexington  Presbytery  and  licensed. 

A  meeting  was  called  at  Corsicana,  July  20th,  and  a  quorum 
was  present,  but  owing  to  a  mistake  in  the  call,  no  business 
could  be  transacted. 

The  Forty-eighth  Meeting  was  held  at  Waco,  October    17th, 

1877.  Ministers  present  in  all,  fourteen;  elders,  fourteen.  Breck- 
enridge  church  was  received.  Licentiates  J.  M.  Robinson  and 
J.  A.  McMurray  were  ordained.  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  was  installed 
pastor  of  Prairie  View  and  Robinson  churches  during  the  week, 
after  the  meeting.  A  warning  was  given  the  churches  against 
lay  evangelists,  so-called.  The  subject  of  a  division  of  the 
Presbytery,  or  a  general  rearrangement  of  the  Presbyteries  of  the 
State,  had  been  before  the  body  at  several  meetings,  and  had 
been  acted  on,  sometimes  favorably  and  sometimes  unfavorably. 
At  this  meeting  a  petition  to  the  Synod,  to  form  a  new  Presby- 
tery, was  adopted.  Rev.  T.  D.  Lea  was  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Eastern  Texas.  Mr.  Lea  had  had  no  charge  during 
the  two  years  he  was  connected  with  the  Presbytery. 

The  Forty-ninth  Meeting  was  held  at  Weatherford,  April  nth, 

1878.  Ministers  present  (including  two  ordained),  eighteen; 
elders,  thirteen.  Licentiate  C.  W.  Peyton  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Highland,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  and  ordained.  L.  B. 
Chaney  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  Weatherford 
church.  Rev.  Robt.  Logan  was  received  from  Atlanta  Presby- 
tery. West  Fork  church, {organized  by  L-  T.  Wilson,  and  Salt 
Spring  church,  organized  by  W.  A.  Smith,  were  received.  The 
new  book  of  Church  Order  was  again  voted  against,  16  to  n. 

Commissioners  to  the  General  Assembly,  W.  S.  Johnson  (Alt.), 
C.  H.  Dobbs,  S.  P.  Green. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  at  Prairie  View  church,  and  the 
camp  ground  near  by,  July  15th,  Rev.  W.  S.  Johnson  was  elected 
Evangelist,  and  the  pastoral  relation  betweeu  him  and  the  Wax- 
ahachie  church  dissolved. 

The  Fiftieth  Meeting  took  place  at  Marlin,  October  2nd,  1878. 
Ministers  present,  thirteen;  elders,  twelve.  Lebanon  church,  in 
Ellis  county,  was  enrolled.  Rev.  O.  F.  Rogers  was  dismissed 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Texas.  Mr.  A.  C.  Boyle  was  re- 
ceived as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry.  He  did  not  enter  the 
ministry.  The  meeting  was  saddened  by  the  recent  deaths  of 
Revs.  J.  A.  Smylie  and  M.  C.  Conoley.  The  new  book  of  Church 
Order  was  referred  to  the  sessions  to  examine  and  send  up  their 
views  to  the  spring  meeting.  The  sessions  were  requested  to 
have  histories  of  the  churches  prepared.  The  growth  of  the 
Presbytery  for  some  years  had  been  rapid.     It  now  contained 


28  HISTORY  OF  THE 

twenty- four  ministers  and  fort}'- two  churches,  and  at  this  meet- 
ing permission  was  given  to  five  ministers  and  two  licentiates  to 
labor  in  the  Presbytery.  An  overture  to  the  Synod  was  adopted 
asking  that  the  Presbytery  be  divided  by  setting  off  a  new  Pres- 
bytery to  comprise  the  territory  north  of  the  counties  of  Navarro, 
Hill,  Bosque,  Hamilton,  Comanche,  Brown,  Coleman  and  Run- 
nels, together  with  so  much  of  Hill  county  as  lies  north  of  a 
line  running  east  and  west,  and  passing  through  Fort  Graham. 
When  the  matter  came  up  in  the  Synod,  it  was  proposed  to  take 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Eastern  Texas,  and  add  to  the  new  Pres- 
bytery, the  counties  through  which  the  H.  &  T.  C.  railroad 
passes.  Alter  a  somewhat  protracted  and  animated  discussion, 
the  Presbytery  of  Dallas  was  thus  formed. 

James  Smylie,  a  ruling  elder,  emigrated  before  the  revolution- 
ary war  from  Scotland  to  North  Carolina,  and  from  there  in 
1809,  to  Amite  county,  in  Mississippi,  where  he  lived  to  an  ad- 
vanced age.  His  second  son,  Rev.  James  Smylie,  came  to  Mis- 
sissippi in  1805,  the  first  Presbyterian  minister  that  settled  per- 
manently in  the  Southwest.  John  Smylie,  another  son  of  James 
Smylie,  and  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  ruling  elder  of  Bethany 
church,  and  for  many  years  probate  judge  of  Amite  county. 
John  Archibald  Smylie  was  born  November  6,  1812.  In  1830  he 
entered  Oakland  College  soon  after  the  college  was  opened.  .  In 
1832  he  made  a  profession  of  religion  and  united  with  the  church 
in  Port  Gibson,  under  Rev.  Zebulon  Butler.  He  had  intended  to 
study  law,  and  had  the  brightest  prospects  for  the  fulfillment  of 
the  high  hopes  of  worldly  preferment.  To  surrender  all  this 
cost  him  a  severe  struggle.  He  graduated  with  the  highest  hon- 
ors in  1835,  and  studied  theology  for  a  time  with  his  Uncle,  Rev. 
James  Smylie.  He  was  one  of  a  class  who  studied  theology  for  a 
time  in  the  newly  organized  department  of  theology  in  Oakland 
College.  The  funds  of  the  college  being  lost  in  the  financial 
panic  of  '37,  the  school  was  not  continued.  He  was  licensed  to 
preach  by  the  Mississippi  Presbytery  September  19,  1838.  He 
preached  for  a  time  at  Pisgah  church,  and  in  1840  became  pas- 
tor at  Camden.  Three  or  four  years  after  he  was  called  to  Beth- 
any church  near  which  he  was  born,  and  served  it  and  Liberty 
twelve  or  fifteen  years.  In  1857  he  moved  to  Point  Cooper  Par- 
ish and  supplied  several  places  in  that  section.  In  1866  he  lost 
his  wife,  and  to  educate  his  sons  he  removed  to  Meridian  and 
opened  a  classic  school.  In  Januar)',  1869,  he  was  invited  to 
take  charge  of  the  Milford  church,  in  this  Presbytery,  where  he 
remained  till  his  decease.  He  was  elected  commissioner  to  the 
General  Assembly,  and  was  preparing  to  go  when  he  was  struck 
down  with  paralysis.     He   rallied  from   this,   and  it    appeared 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  29 

probable  that  his  health  would  be  restored,  but  on  September 
20th,  he  was  taken  with  a  chill,  and  died  on  the  23rd,  forty  years 
and  four  days  after  he  was  licensed  to  preach.  While  at  Milford 
he  organized  the  Richland  and  Eureka  Valley  churches,  and  sup- 
plied them  in  connection  with  Milford  till  his  death.  He  was 
instrumental  in  organizing  the  Waxahachie  church  and  preached 
to  it  for  some  time. 

He  was  an  able,  faithful  and  earnest  preacher  of  the  truth  as 
it  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  the  church  grew  whenever  he  minis- 
tered to  it.  He  was  earnest  and  successful  in  defending  the 
truth,  and  gave  much  attention  to  systematic  theology.  He  was 
much  interested  in  the  subject  of  church  government,  and  wrote 
considerable  upon  it.  He  held  that  our  system  in  practice  did 
not  do  full  justice  to  the  office  of  ruling  elder,  making  too  wide 
a  distinction  between  the  teaching  and  ruling  elder.  Mr.  Smy- 
lie  had  twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  survived  him.  He  had 
the  privilege  of  welcoming  them  all  the  communion  of  the 
church. 

Rev.  Malcom  C.  Conoley  was  born  in  Robinson  county,  North 
Carolina,  August  20,  1807.  He  studied  theology  at  Union  Semi- 
nary. He  preached  in  North  Carolina  fifteen  or  sixteen  years, 
and  came  to  Texas  about  1857.  He  settled  at  Columbia,  Bra- 
zoria county,  and  took  charge  of  the  Columbia  church,  teach- 
ing also  part  of  the  seven  years  he  remained  there.  His  minis- 
try there  was  very  acceptable  and  he  was  much  beloved.  From 
1859  he  taught  most  of  the  time,  in  Richmond  and  Brenham  till 
the  winter  of  i867-'58.  The  latter  part  of  the  time  he  supplied 
the  Galatia  church.  Thence  he  removed  to  Milam  county,  in  a 
neighborhood  where  there  were  no  Presbyterians,  opened  a  school, 
and  with  his  own  family  as  a  nucleus  organized  the  Bethel 
church,  and  continued  to  teach  and  preach  six  or  seven  years.  In 
i87i-'72  he  supplied  the  churches  in  Williamson  county,  one  of 
them  fifty  miles  from  his  home.  He  also  supplied  the  Mizpeh 
church  one  or  two  years.  During  the  last  year  of  his  life  he  was 
too  infirm  to  preach  much.  Being  engaged  so  much  in  teaching 
he  could  not  attend  Presbytery  regularly,  and  being  of  a  retiring 
disposition  seldom  took  an  active  part  when  present.  He  was  a 
thorough  and  successful  teacher,  and  au  able,  faithful  preacher. 
He  had  a  warm  place  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  knew  him  best, 
as  a  brother  amiable  and  beloved,  "an  Israelite  indeed  in  whom 
is  no  guile." 

Of  the  seven  ministers  who  went  to  the  Dallas  Presbytery  in 
the  division,  only  one  is  now  on  the  list  of  ministers  in  Texas  — 
Mr.  Logan,  who  has  for  some  time  been  infirm.  L-  T.  Wilson 
demitted   the   ministry  in  '82,  B.  D.  Thomas  died  in  '81,  and  in 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE 

'82  W.  S.  Johnson  died  in  Memphis,  and  H.  McDonald  in  Ala- 
bama. L.  B.  Chaney  is  in  Nashville  Presbytery,  and  W.  W. 
Brimm  in  Mason. 

The  Fifty-first  Meeting  was  held  at  Oak  Island,  April  3d, 
1879.  Present,  ten  ministers  and  eleven  ruling  elders.  Rev.  J. 
A.  Walker  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbyter}'  of  Western  Texas. 
W.  S.  Johnson,  evangelist,  reported  the  organization  of  Zion 
church,  with  thirty-one  members  and  two  ruling  elders.  By  ar- 
rangement with  Dallas  Presbytery,  Mr.  Johnson  continued  for  a 
time  to  serve  as  evangelist  in  both  Presbyteries.  His  report  at 
this  time  states,  among  other  things,  that  he  had  traveled  by 
private  conveyance  2 161  miles,  by  rail  751,  visited  ten  counties, 
eleven  churches,  organized  two  churches,  preached  seventy-six 
times  in  twenty-five  different  places,  and  received  fifteen 
members  on  profession,  and  seventy-three  on  certificate.  The 
votes  of  the  churches  on  the  new  book  were  ten  for  and  five 
against,  and  fifteen  not  voting.  It  was  adopted  by  the  Presby- 
tery by  a  vote  of  eleven  to  ten.  Commissioners  to  the  Assem- 
bly, H.  Moseley  and  J.  W.  Storey. 

At  a  pro  re  nata  meeting  in  Waco,  September  3d,  Mr.  John- 
son, at  his  own  request,  was  released  from  his  engagement  as 
evangelist.  Mr.  R.  A.  Robinson,  a  member  of  the  Robinson- 
ville  church,  was  received  as  a  candidate. 

The  Fifty-second  Meeting  was  at  Robinson,  October  23d, 
1879.  Present,  ministers,  thirteen;  elders,  fifteen.  Rev.  R.  M. 
Tuttle  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Paducah.  Rev.  H. 
Moseley  was  again  elected  evangelist,  to  make  his  headquarters 
at  Comanche,  and  the  presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  at  Marlin  to 
install  him.  The  churches  at  Oak  Island  and  Mexia,  however, 
remonstrated  so  strongly  against  his  removal  from  that  field,  that 
he  was  released,  and  Rev.  J.  A.  McMurray  was  elected.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Synod,  at  Fort  Worth,  information  was  received 
that  a  church  had  been  organized  at  Coleman,  and  circumstances 
rendering  it  expedient  that  the  church  be  received  as  soon  as 
practicable,  the  Synod  was  requested  to  order  a  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery  for  this  purpose.  The  Synod  granted  the  request, 
and  the  meeting  was  held  and  the  church  received  under  the 
name  of  First  Church  of  Coleman.  February  12th,  1880,  at  a 
called  meeting,  in  Waco,  Rev.  J.  A.  McMurray  was  installed  in 
the  office  of  evangelist. 

The  fifty-third  Meeting  was  held  at  Rockdale,  April  22d,  1880. 
Ministers  present,  fifteen;  ruling  elders,  fifteen.  Licentiate  A. 
H.  P.  McCurdy  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Western 
Texas,  ordained,  and  arrangements  made  for  his  installation  as 
pastor  of  Hutto  church,    which  was  enrolled   at  this  meeting. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  31 

The  Synod  having,  at  the  meeting  in  '79,  ordered  an  overture 
sent  to  the  Assembly  to  divide  the  Synod,  this  Presbytery,  and 
two  others  sent  overtures  in  opposition  to  it,  and  two  others 
asking  a  modification  of  the  plan.  Of  course  the  Assembly  did 
not  grant  the  request  of  the  Synod.  Commissioner  to  General 
Assembly,  A.  S.  Doak. 

The  Fifty-fourth  Meeting  took  place  at  Belton,  October  14th, 

1880.  Present,  ministers,  twelve;  ruling  elders,  nine.  W.  G. 
McDonald  was  received  as  a  candidate.  The  organization  of  a 
church  at  Hamilton  was  reported,  but  as  it  had  no  officers  its 
enrollment  was  deferred.  The  evangelist  reported  that  in  the 
frontier  field  in  which  he  had  labored  there  was  not  only  a  scar- 
city of  Presbyterian  ministers,  but  of  Presbyterian  people.  He 
had  traveled,  approximately,  3000  miles;  had  preached  about 
100  times,  but  had  found  material  to  organize  only  the  one  church 
at  Hamilton;  but  he  hoped  soon  to  organize  at  one  or  two  other 
places. 

An  adjourned  meeting  was  held  at  Waco,  November  17th. 
Rev.  R.  M.  Loughridge  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Ne- 
osho P.  C,  U.  S.  A.  The  report  on  the  minutes  of  the  Assembly 
pressed  upon  the  Presbytery  and  churches,  especially,  the  sub- 
jects of  evangelistic  labor  and  colportage.  The  Presbyterial 
Committee  of  Sustentation  was  directed  to  meet  monthly,  to  re- 
ceive reports  from  evangelists,  and  publish  such  portions  of  them 
as  they  saw  fit. 

It  was  voted  to  procure  a  horse  and  vehicle  for  a  colporteur; 
and  to  look  out  and  employ  a  suitable  man  at  $20.00  per  month 
and  expenses.  The  depository  at  Waxahachie,  after  a  good  deal 
of  good  work  done,  had  been  closed  up. 

After  the  adjournment  at  Waco,  the  Presbytery,  by  order  of 
the  Synod,  met  again  November  17th  to  elect  an  evangelist. 
Rev.  S.  M.  Luckett  was  elected. 

March  8th,  1881,  a  called  meeting  was  held  in  Waco  to  elect 
an  evangelist,  but  the  way  was  not  clear  to  do  so. 

The  Fifty-fifth  meeting  took  place  at  Zion  church,  April  7th, 

1881.  Present,  ministers,  fifteen;  ruling  elders,  fifteen.  Rev.  H. 
W.  Woods  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Ozark,  P.  C,  U. 
S.  A.,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  his  installation  as  pastor 
of  Corsicana  church.  The  Hamilton  church  was  enrolled.  Rev. 
H.  B.  Rose  was  elected  and  installed  evangelist  to  labor  on  the 
line  of  the  Santa  Fe  road  and  vicinity.  A  committee  had  been 
appointed  by  the  Synod  to  confer  with  a  committee  of  the  Synod 
of  the  Northern  church.  The  committees  had  met  and  formu- 
lated a  plan  of  non-interference  with  each  other.  A  paper  was 
adopted   concerning   this    action,    strongly  dissenting   from   it, 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE 

mainly  on  the  ground  that  the  rights  given  by  the  constitution 
could  not  be  interfered  with;  that  the  action  of  the  Synod  was 
extra  constitutional  and  dangerous,  and  that  to  comply  with  the 
propositions  submitted,  would  require  a  change  in  the  organic 
law  of  the  church.  A  committee  on  "Retrenchment  and  Re- 
form" recommended  some  changes  in  the  working  of  the  execu- 
tive committees  of  the  church  for  the  sake  of  economy,  and  fav- 
ored biennial  sessions  of  the  General  Assembly. 

The  report  of  the  Home  Mission  Committee  showed  pressing 
need  of  more  help  in  the  sustentation  work.  The  churches  had 
contributed  only  $157-70.  The  Central  Committee  was  pressed 
and  unable  to  give  all  that  was  asked  for.  There  had  been  con- 
tributed in  the  Presbytery  $600  for  evangelistic  work,  of  which 
$200  was  from  the  churches  of  Comanche  and  Hamilton,  in  the 
evangelist's  field.  The  revised  directory  was  criticised.  Com- 
missioners to  the  General  Assembly:  R.  M.  Tutton  and  T.  C. 
Smith.  The  meeting  was  saddened  by  the  recent  death  of  Rev. 
A.  J.  Loughridge. 

Andrew  Jackson  Loughridge  was  born  in  Laurens  District, 
South  Carolina,  July  28,  18 18.  He  studied  under  Dr.  Waddell, 
and  graduated  at  Oakland  College,  in  1850,  and  Columbia  Sem- 
inary, in  1853.  He  was  soon  afterward  licensed  by  Tombigbee 
Presbytery;  removed  to  Texas  and  was  ordained  by  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Eastern  Texas.  He  preached  for  a  time  at  St.  Augus- 
tine, and  did  missionary  work  till  he  came  into  this  Presbytery, 
in  1857.  He  supplied  the  Blue  Ridge  church  most  of  the  time 
until  1869,  teaching  and  surveying  a  large  part  of  the  time  for 
his  support.  In  the  early  part  of  1869  he  removed  to  the  Hugh 
Wilson  church,  of  which,  on  the  first  Sabbath  of  July,  1870,  he 
was  installed  pastor.  In  this  relation  he  continued  until  his 
death,  March  19,  1881.  He  was  married  in  1862  or  '63,  but  his 
wife  died  in  the  spring  of  1864,  leaving  an  infant  daughter.  Mr. 
Loughridge  was  a  faithful,  earnest  and  able  preacher,  a  pastor 
greatly  beloved.  He  was  a  faithful  Presbyter.  As  a  companion 
he  had  an  overflowing  fund  of  good  humor.  He  always  looked 
on  the  bright  side  of  things.  As  a  friend  he  was  faithful  and  de- 
voted and  was  a  wise  counsellor. 

The  Fifty-sixth  Meeting  was  held  at  Prairie  View  church  on 
September  1,  t88i.  Present,  ministers  eleven;  ruling  elders 
fourteen.  Rev.  J.  T.  Paxton  was  received  from  the  Presbytery 
of  Eastern  Texas.  Rev.  W.  F.  Gillespie  was  released  from  the 
pastorate  of  the  Georgetown  church,  and  dismissed  to  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Western  Texas.  Instead  of  joining  that  Presbytery, 
Mr.  Gillespie  joined  the  Northern  church.  He  has  recently  re- 
turned and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Presbytery  to  which  he  was 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  33 

dismissed.  Licentiate  W.  W.  Ruff  was  received  from  Montgom- 
ery Presbytery  and  ordained  as  an  evangelist.  Malcom  Black 
was  received  as  a  candidate.  The  name  of  Caldwell  church  was 
changed  to  Yellow  Prairie,  and  that  of  Georgetown  to  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Georgetown.  The  candidates  were  ad- 
vised to  attend  our  own  theological  seminaries.  The  churches  of 
Wilson  Valley  and  Iredell  were  enrolled.  Mr.  Rose,  having  been 
severely  injured  by  an  accident,  resigned  as  evangelist.  Two 
men  from  abroad  were  elected  evangelists,  but  did  not  accept  the 
call.  At  a  called  meeting,  December  7,  Rev.  A.  S.  Doak  was 
elected  evangelist,  to  take  the  place  of  Mr.  Rose. 

The  Fifty-seventh  Meeting  was  held  at  Mexia,  April  28,  1882. 
Ministers  present  twelve,  ruling  elders  sixteen.  The  Temple 
church  was  enrolled.  Arrangements  were  made  for  the  installa- 
tion, as  pastors,  of  Rev.  S.  A.  King,  at  Waco,  H.  Moseley,  at 
Georgetown,  and  W.  W.  Ruff  was  installed  at  Mexia.  Thos. 
McCuchon  was  licensed  to  preach  as  an  extraordinary  case.  R. 
L,.  Moser  was  received  as  a  candidate.  Mr.  Moser  did  not  enter 
the  ministry.  The  Revised  Directory  was  adopted.  A  commis- 
sion was  appointed  to  visit  Corsicana  to  endeavor  to  settle  some 
difficulties  in  the  church.  The  commission  reported  at  the  next 
meeting  the  action  taken,  which  was  in  the  main  successful,  but 
a  called  meeting  was  held  at  Georgetown,  July  10th,  at  which 
the  pastor,  Rev.  H.  W.  Woods,  was  released  from  the  pastorate 
and  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Highland,  Kansas,  P.  C, 
U.  S.  A.  Commissioners  to  the  General  Assemby  R.  K.  Smoot 
and  R.  H.  Flanniken.  Dr.  Smoot  was  moderator  of  the  Assem- 
bly. 

The  Fifty-eighth   Meeting  was  held   at  Burnet,  September  20, 
1882.     Ministers  present  eleven,  ruling  elders  fifteen.     The  Cam- 
eron church,  organized  by  evangelist,  A.  S.  Doak,  was  enrolled. 
A.  H.  P.  McCurdy  was  released  from  the  pastoral  charge  of  Hutto 
church     and  dismissed    to  the    Presbytery  of  Western    Texas 
The  Mizpeh  church  was  dissolved  at  the  request  of  its  only  elder 
W.  S.  Red  was  received  as  a  candidate,  examined   in  part  for  li 
censure,  and  exercises  as  parts  of  trial  were  assigned  to  Mr.  Red 
M.  Black  and  W.  E.  Shive.     The   action  of  the  Atlanta  Assem 
bly  in  establishing  correspondence   called    forth  an  overture  to 
to  the  next  Assembly  to  declare  that  "fraternal  correspondence, 
whether  by  wire,  by  letter,  or  by  interchange  of  delegates,  does 
not  imply  unity  of  doctrine  or  identity  of  ecclesiastical  princi- 
ples,''nor  is  the  action   that  was  taken  "an  indorsement  of  the 
doctrines  or  principles  of  any  church,  or   the  deliverances  of  the 
courts  of  other  churches,  nor  in  the  least  withdrawing  the  testi- 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE 

rnony  of  the  church  concerning  the  independence  and  spirituality 
of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom."  etc. 

Rev.  Wm.  Montgomery  King,  father  of  Rev.  S.  A.  King,  was 
born  in  Georgia,  October  6th,  1796.  His  father  came  from  Scot- 
land shortly  before  the  revolutionary  war,  and  served  in  the 
arm}7.  The  family  having  removed  to  Tennessee,  W.  M.  King 
studied  under  Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn.  While  a  licentiate,  he 
traveled  in  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  doing  missionary  work. 
He  was  ordained  by  the  Presbyter}'  of  Louisville,  and  labored  in 
Kentucky  and  Illinois  till  his  removal  to  Texas,  in  1851.  He 
taught  and  preached  in  the  Northeastern  part  of  the  State  till 
1S64,  when  he  came  to  Milford  and  to  the  vicinity  of  Waco,  in 
1867.  He  became  a  member  of  this  Presbytery  in  1865.  At 
this  time  he  had  become  so  enfeebled  by  age  and  ill  health  that 
he  never  afterwards  undertook  any  regular  charge,  but  continued 
to  preach  occasionally,  and  to  engage  in  other  labors,  till  he  had 
passed  his  four-score  years.  He  retained,  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
a  deep  and  strong  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Zion.  He  loved  the 
Word  of  God,  and  feasted  on  its  strong  meat.  His  presence  in 
Presbytery  and  Synod,  when  he  was  able  to  attend,  was  always 
a  delight  to  the  younger  members.  In  his  long  waiting  for  his 
change,  he  enjoyed  the  full  assurance  of  faith  and  hope  of  im- 
mortality. 

At  a  called  meeting,  at  Temple,  December  19th,  Rev.  A.  S. 
Doak  presented  his  resignation  as  evangelist,  and  it  was  ac- 
cepted. 

The  Fifty-ninth  Meeting  was  held  at  Temple,  April  18th, 
18S3.  Present,  ministers,  fifteen,  and  ruling  elders,  twenty-one. 
Rev.  M.  C.  Hutton  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Chicka- 
saw, and  arrangements  were  made  for  his  installation  as  pastor 
of  Zion  church.  Rev.  C.  W.  Alexander  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Dallas.  Licentiate  Thos.  McHutchon  was  or- 
dained. J.  S.  Granlee  was  received  as  a  candidate,  and  he  and 
W.  S.  Red  and  W.  E.  Shive  were  licensed.  The  Synod,  in  '82, 
changed  the  boundary  lines,  to  add  to  the  Presbytery  two  tiers 
of  counties,  from  the  Brazos  west,  from  the  Dallas  Presbytery, 
and  from  the  Western  Texas  Presbytery  all  its  territory  north  of 
the  southern  boundary  of  the  counties  of  Llano,  Mason,  Menard 
and  Tom  Green,  and  a  straight  line  thence  west  to  the  Rio 
Grande.  By  this  change,  Rev.  O.  F.  Rogers,  of  Dallas  Presby- 
tery, and  Rev.  J.  H.  Zivley,  of  Western  Texas,  and  the  churches 
of  Abilene,  Colorado  and  Anson,  from  the  former,  and  San  Saba, 
Llano  and  Mason  from  the  latter,  were  transferred  to  this  Pres- 
bytery. The  whole  of  Hill  county  was  placed  in  the  Dallas 
Presbytery.     In  '84,  another  change   was   made,  by   which   the 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  35 

churches  of  Abilene,  Colorado  and  Anson  were  returned  to  Dal- 
las Presbytery,  and  the  southern  line  of  the  counties  through 
which  the  T.  &  P.  railroad  runs  was  made  the  dividing  line. 
East  of  the  Brazos,  a  change  was  made,  making  the  line  to  run 
from  the  west  corner  of  Navarro  county  to  the  north  corner  of 
McLennan,  leaving  the  part  of  Hill  between  McLennan  and 
Navasota  in  this  Presbytery. 

At  the  request  of  pastor  and  church,  the  pastoral  relation  be- 
tween Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  and  the  Prairie  View  church,  was  dis- 
solved. Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  was  elected  evangelist.  A  subscrip- 
tion for  his  salary  was  raised,  amounting  to  $850.  A  commis- 
sion was  appointed  to  visit  and  confer  with  Robinson  church, 
and  dissolve  the  pastoral  relation  between  Mr.  Dobbs  and  that 
church.  This  commission  found  the  church  very  unwilling  to 
give  up  their  pastor,  but  on  a  full  presentation  of  the  case,  the 
consent  was  given,  and  the  pastoral  relation  dissolved  April  25th. 
It  was  stated  in  the  report  of  the  evangelistic  committee  that  a 
young  man  of  the  name  of  Hodge  had  been  secured  to  take  part 
of  the  field  in  which  Mr.  McMurray  was  laboring,  enabling  Mr. 
McMurray  to  go  west.  Mr.  Hodge  visited  the  field  and  preached 
a  few  times,  appeared  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  was 
received  as  a  licentiate  from  the  Presbytery  of  Holston,  and  dis- 
missed to  the  Presbytery  of  Brazos.  Commissioners  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  R.  K.  Smoot  and'j,  N.  Lyle. 

At  a  pro  re  nata  meeting,  held  at  the  camp  ground,  in  Milam 
county,  July  20th,  1883,  R.  B.  Palmer  and  S.  J.  McMurray  were 
received  as  candidates  for  the  ministry. 

The  Sixtieth  Meeting  was  held  at  Yellow  Prairie,  November 
2d,  1883.  Ministers  present,  eleven;  ruling  elders,  nine.  Rev. 
J.  M.  Cochran,  who  had  recently  commenced  preaching  at  Abi- 
lene and  Anson,  was  received  from  the  Brazos  Presbytery.  Cole- 
man church  was  placed  under  his  charge.  The  churches  of 
Jonesboro,  Hebron  and  McGregor  were  received.  The  evange- 
lists, McMurray  and  Dobbs,  presented  repoits  of  their  labors. 
The  reports  were  not  recorded,  but  the  evangelists  were  com- 
mended for  their  zeal  and  efficiency.  Mr.  McMurray  offered  his 
resignation,  to  take  effect  at  the  next  meeting,  and  it  was  ac- 
cepted; but  at  the  next  meeting  the  action  was  revoked. 

The  Sixty-first  Meeting  was  at  Temple,  April  3d,  1884.  Min- 
isters present,  including  those  received  and  those  ordained, 
twenty;  ruling  elders,  twenty-one.  There  were  received,  from 
the  Presbytery  of  West  Hanover,  R.  L.  Dabney,  D.  D.;  from 
Dallas,  R.  E.  Sherrill;  from  Holston,  Geo.  T.  Lyle;  from  Brazos, 
Hugh  Calvin  Smith.  Licentiates  J.  S.  Greenlee  and  W.  E. 
Shive  were  ordained.     Candidate  W.  H.   McCullough  was  dis- 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE 

missed  to  the  care  of  Harmon}-  Presbytery.  Rev.  J.  T.  Paxton 
was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  LaFayette,  and  Rev.  C.  W. 
Alexander  to  Dallas.  The  name  of  Pleasant  Hill  church  was 
changed  to  Leander.  The  subject  of  the  debt  of  Austin  College 
was  before  the  Presbytery,  and  $2000  were  pledged  towards  it, 
provided  the  other  Presbyteries  would  do  likewise.  Rev.  A.  B. 
Wilkes  was  at  this  time  preaching  at  Llano,  and  was  recom- 
mended for  aid  from  the  sustentation  funds.  Not  long  after- 
wards, he  gave  up  preaching  and  abjured  his  faith,  without  hav- 
ing ever  applied  for  membership  in  the  Presbytery.  Commis- 
sioners to  the  General  Assembly,  C.  H.  Dobbs,  L.  Tenney,  A. 
A.  Black,  and  W.  D.  Paden. 

REV.  H.  MOSELEY. 

Hillery  Moseley  was  born  near  Courtland,  Ala.,  May  28th, 
1830,  and  died  at  the  Manse,  in  Georgetown,  December  3d,  1883. 
In  the  fall  of  1847,  his  father's  family  removed  to  Oakland  Col- 
lege, and  Hillery  entered  the  freshman  class  in  October,  and 
graduated  in  April,  185 1,  taking  the  college  and  Belles  Letters 
Society  diplomas.  The  college  was  then  in  the  height  of  a  pros- 
perous career  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Chamberlin,  and  among 
those  who  filled  its  classes  were  a  number  of  young  men  who 
have  since  done  good  services  for,  the  church  and  country.  Mr. 
Moseley  had  made  a  profession  of  religion  in  1843  at  a  camp 
meeting  and  been  received  to  the  communion  of  the  church  the 
following  year.  He  studied  theology  at  Princeton  Seminary, 
graduating  in  1854.  While  in  the  Seminary,  he  was  approached 
by  a  Northern  student,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  containing  a 
picture  of  a  runaway  slave,  pursued  by  dogs.  He  asked  if  such 
things  took  place  at  the  South,  and  being  answered  in  the  affirm- 
ative, he  said  he  had  been  accustomed  to  think  that  a  man  could 
not  be  a  Christian  and  a  slaveholder.  Mr.  Moseley  replied: 
"That  is  one  picture;  let  me  give  you  another.  When  I  went 
home  last  vacation,  some  of  the  negroes  saw  me  approaching. 
The  word  quickly  passed  among  them,  'Massa  Hillery  is  come,' 
and  they  all  rushed  to  meet  me  at  the  gate,  and  before  I  could 
salute  my  mother,  I  had  to  receive  their  greetings,  and  then  they 
tcok  me  up  in  their  arms  and  carried  me  to  the  door."  The 
Northern  student  asked  if  that  was  true,  and  being  assured  that 
it  was,  was  silenced — for  the  time  at  least. 

Mr.  Moseley  was  licensed  by  the  Presbytery  of  Mississippi, 
April  14th,  1854,  and  ordained  in  November  following.  He  com- 
menced his  labors  in  Louisiana,  preaching  to  the  Gros  Tete 
church  and  on  a  plantation.  In  May,  1856,  he  was  installed 
pastor  of  the  Jackson  church,  Louisiana,  but  gave  it  up  in  No- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  IJ 

vember  of  the  same  year,  that  he  might  accept  the  presidency  of 
the  Sillimau  Institute.  He  filled  this  post  well  and  successfully, 
ministering  at  the  same  time  to  the  church  at  Clinton.  In  May, 
1858,  he  came  to  Texas  and  spent  some  time  in  missionary  labor 
in  Brazoria  county.  He  was  present  at  the  meeting  of  the  Synod 
of  Texas  that  year  at  Huntsville.  The  next  month  he  married 
in  Huntsville  his  second  wife,  and  immediately  afterwards  re- 
moved to  Palestine  and  took  charge  of  the  church  at  that  place, 
also  of  the  church  of  Mound  Prairie.  In  connection  with  his 
work  in  these  churches,  in  the  six  years  he  remained  there,  he 
did  a  good  deal  of  missionary  work  in  the  country  around,  and 
the  latter  part  of  the  time  taught,  a  large  female  school.  In  Oc- 
tober, 1864,  he  removed  to  Woodland,  in  Freestone  county, 
where,  for  about  four  years,  he  taught  a  large  school,  supplying, 
at  the  same  time,  the  Oak  Island  church,  six  miles  distant.  He 
joined  this  Presbytery  at  its  session  at  Milford  in  March,  1865. 
In  1869,  his  house,  recently  built  for  school  and  residence,  was 
burned,  and  he  removed  to  the  Oak  Island  church.  He  preached 
to  that  church  one-half  the  time  for  seventeen  years,  from  Octo- 
ber, 1864,  till  December,  1881.  Twice  during  the  time  the  Pres- 
bytery elected  him  evangelist,  but  the  church  was  so  unwilling 
to  have  him  leave,  that  he  did  not  enter  upon  the  work.  During 
those  years  he  had  charge,  for  a  longer  or  shorter  time,  of  the 
churches  of  Corsicana,  Ennis,  Mexia,  Blue  Ridge  and  Marlin. 
In  January,  1882,  he  removed  to  Georgetown,  and  in  July  fol- 
lowing was  installed  pastor  of  the  church.  In  the  summer  of 
1883,  he  had  become  so  much  enfeebled  that  his  people  insisted 
on  his  traveling  for  his  health.  He  spent  a  few  weeks  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Virginia.  He  was  a  fluent  conversationalist  and  made 
his  way  easily  among  strangers,  and  it  was  a  great  surprise  in 
hearing  him  speak  of  his  trip  that  he  seemed  to  have  taken  very 
little  pleasure  in  it.  His  thoughts  were  with  his  home  and  his 
work.  Perhaps  this  was  one  reason  that  he  was  not  more  bene- 
fited. He  had  a  severe  illness  after  his  return,  but  so  far  recov- 
ered as  to  attend  the  Synod  at  Victoria,  just  twenty-five  years 
after  he  first  attended  the  Synod  of  Texas,  though  not  a  member, 
at  Huntsville.  Shortly  after  his  return  home  he  took  a  severe 
cold  which  resulted  in  pneumonia,  and  ended  his  earthly  career 
four  days  afterwaids.  Thus  he  was  called  from  the  service  of 
the  church  militant  to  the  joyful  service  of  the  church  triumph- 
ant. Mr.  Moseley  represented  the  Presbytery  of  Eastern  Texas 
in  the  first  Southern  General  Assembly  in  1861,  and  this  Presby- 
tery in  the  Assemblies  of  1868,  1874  and  1879. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Temple,    June    24th,   1884,  Malcom 
Black  was  licensed  to  preach,  Robert  H.  Greenlee  was  received  as 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE 

a  candidate,  and  Rev.  Win.  Boyd  was  received  from  the  Presby- 
tery of  Brazos.  Mr.  Boyd,  under  repeated  permits  to  labor  in 
the  Presbytery,  had  served  the  Yellow  Prairie  church  two  or 
three  years.     Mr.  Greenlee  never  entered  the  ministry. 

The  Sixty-second  Meeting  was  held  at  Georgetown,  October 
24,  1884.  Ministers  present  eighteen,  ruling  elders  twenty-one. 
Rev.  W.  T.  Spears  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Ebenzer, 
and  Rev.  M.  W.  Millard  from  the  Presbytery  of  Holston,  Rev. 
G.  T.  L,yle  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Greenbrier.  Li- 
centiate Malcom  Black  was  ordained,  and  candidate  W.  G.  Mc- 
Donald licensed.  The  churches  of  Corn  Hill  and  Golinda  organ- 
ized by  the  evangelist,  C.  H.  Dobbs,  Hico  organized  b}'  evan- 
gelist, J.  A.  McMurray,  and  Fairfield  and  Mathison  by  \V.  W. 
Ruff,  were  enrolled.  Jonesboro  church  was  dissolved.  G.  W. 
Stafford,  of  Austin,  was  received  as  a  candidate.  He  did  not  be- 
come a  minister.  A  commissioner  that  had  been  appointed  to 
visit  Mexia,  reported  that  they  had  dissolved  the  pastoral  rela- 
tion between  that  church  and  Rev.  W.  W.  Ruff.  The  Mexia 
church  was  given  permission  to  employ  R.  H.  Byers,  of  the 
Brazos  Presbytery.  By  the  change  of  boundary,  which  has  been 
mentioned  previously,  made  by  the  Synod  which  met  at  Belton 
immediately  after  this  meeting,  J.  M.  Cochran,  J.  A.  McMurray 
and  O.  F.  Rogers  were  transferred  to  the  Dallas  Presbytery.  Mr. 
McMurray  had  made  his  headquarters  for  some  time  at  Colorado. 
Resolutions  were  adopted  on  the  subject  of  evolution,  expressing 
decided  disapprobation  of  the  retention  of  a  professor  in  the  Theo- 
logical Seminary  who  taught  or  believed  in  it,  and  directingt.bat 
no  money  raised  in  this  Presbytery  for  education  should  be  given 
to  aid  any  student  in  Columbia  Seminary  under  its  present  man- 
agement, and  overturing  the  Synod  to  crive  an  expression  of  its 
disapprobation. 

The  want  of  a  school  of  theology  at  home  had  long  been  felt 
in  this  Presbytery  and  others.  Students  who  went  from  here  to 
the  older  States  often  found  attraction  there  to  prevent  their  re- 
turning; and  it  was  thought  that  it  would  be  better  for  the 
young  ministers  to  have  their  training  among  the  people  for 
whom  they  expected  to  labor.  At  the  request  of  a  number  of 
members  of  the  Presbytery,  Drs.  Dabney  and  Smoot  had  com- 
menced a  class  in  theology  the  first  of  the  month,  thus  begin- 
ning the  work  to  which  they  have  since  given  so  much  time  and 
labor  without  pecuniary  reward,  and  indeed  at  no  little  expense 
to  themselves,  of  money  as  well  as  time.  Though  the  students 
have  not  been  numerous,  the  results  have  been  such  as  fully  to 
justify  the  enterprise.  Licentiate  G-  L.  Bilzer  was  employed  to 
teach  Greek  and  Hebrew.     The  Presbytery  heartily  endorsed  the 


OF   THF 

UNIVERSITY 

OF 

«£4UFORNife* 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  39 

movement  and  voted  to  establish  the  Austin  School  of  Theology. 
The  Synod  was  also  asked  to  take  control  of  the  school  and  pro- 
vide for  its  wants. 

At  this  meeting  also  it  was  resolved  to  establish  a  male  aud 
female  college  under  the  care  ot  the  Presbytery.  A  board  of 
trustees  was  appointed,  also  a  commission  to  select  a  location 
for  the  school. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Waco,  February  3,  18S5,  candidate 
Richard  Robinson  was  dismissed  to  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of 
West  Hanover. 

The  Sixty-third  Meeting  was  held  at  Hamilton,  April  23,  1885. 
Connected  with  this  meeting  was  a  singular  episode  in  the  Pres- 
byterial  history.  About  twenty  of  the  members  took  the  train 
on  the  Texas  Central  at  Waco,  on  the  22d,  to  go  to  Hico,  from 
which  place  the  members  of  the  Hamilton  church  were  to  furnish 
them  conveyance  to  Hamilton,  twenty-two  miles  south  of  Hico. 
It  was  a  time  of  wet  weather  and  bad  roads.  The  train  had 
hardly  started  when  it  commenced  raining,  and  poured  down 
steadily  for  several  hours.  Doubts  soon  began  to  be  expressed 
about  reaching  Hamilton.  Some  of  the  party  had  recently  been 
ill  and  dreaded  exposure.  At  Walnut  Springs  Mr.  Dobbs,  the 
evangelist,  joined  the  party.  He  was  the  only  one  who  was  ac- 
quainted with  the  country  through  which  they  had  to  go.  It  was 
supposed  that  there  would  not  be  members  enough  coming  by 
other  routes  to  make  a  quorum,  and  before  the  train  reached 
Iredell,  where  it  met  the  down  train,  it  was  decided  to  take  that 
train  and  return  to  Waco  and  hold  the  meeting  there,  which  was 
accordingly  done.  Four  ministers,  however,  J.  H.  Zivley,  Mal- 
com  Black,  H.  B.  Rose,  R.  E.  Sherrill  and  four  ruling  elders 
appeared  at  Hamilton  and  held  the  regular  meeting.  The  small 
number  present  prevented  the  transaction  of  all  the  business  in  a 
satisfactory  manner,  and  in  consequence  a  meeting  was  called  at 
Temple,  May  3rd,  to  supply  what  was  warning.  The  churches 
of  San  Angelo  and  Taylor  were  enrolled.  Rev.  Wm.  George 
was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Dallas  and  arrangements 
made  for  his  installation  as  pastor  of  the  Belton  church  on  the 
31st  of  May. 

Commissioners  to  the  General  Assembly,  which  met  this  year 
in  Houston:  R.  E.  Sherrill,  M.  C.  Hutton,  J.  C.  Peoples,  B.  E- 
Frierson. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Austin,  June  2,  1885,  the  time  and  place 
fixed  for  the  fall  meeting  were  reconsidered.  It  was  resolved  to 
employ  Mr.  C.  M.  Staples,  of  Austin,  as  colporteur  for  the  sum- 
mer months,  to  work  under  the  direction  of  the  evangelist. 

A  meeting  was  also  called  at  Waco,  June  23,  at  which  the  Cor- 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE 

sicana  church  received  permission  to  prosecute  a  call  for  the  pas- 
toral services  of  Rev.  Thomas  Wharey,  of  Roanoke  Presbytery. 

The  Sixty-fourth  Meeting  was  held  at  Taylor,,  September  18, 
1885.  Ministers  present,  ten;  ruling  elders,  eighteen.  Rev.  A. 
S.  Doak  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Augusta,  and  Rev. 
Hugh  Calvin  Smith  to  the  Presbytery  of  Louisville.  The  Cald- 
well church,  organized  by  evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs,  was  enrolled. 
Licentiate  W.  G.  McDonald  was  ordained.  C.  M.  Staples  was 
received  as  a  candidate.  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  resigned  as  evangel- 
ist. Rev.  J.  H.  Zivley  was  elected.  The  commission  appointed 
for  the  purpose  of  selecting  a  place  for  the  Prebsyterial  school  re- 
ported that  Round  Rock  had  been  chosen,  and  the  offer  of  the 
citizens  of  that  place  of  a  building  for  the  school  had  been  ac- 
cepted. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  at  Austin,  October  19,  just  before  the 
Synod  met,  the  pastoral  relation  of  Rev.  J.  H.  Zivley  and  the 
San  Saba  church  was  dissolved.  The  San  Angelo  church  desir- 
ing to  secure  Rev.  Zivley's  services  for  one-half  of  the  time,  the 
arrangement  was  made  for  him  to  take  charge  of  that  field  and 
give  the  other  half  to  evangelistic  work. 

The  Sixty-fifth  Meeting  was  held  at  Burnet,  April  15,  1886. 
Ministers  present,  thirteen;  ruling  elders,  sixteen.  Rev.  Thos. 
Wharey  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Roanoke.  Arrange- 
ments were  made  for  his  intallation,  as  pastor  of  Corsicana 
church,  on  the  first  Sabbath  in  June.  It  was  ordered,  also,  that 
Rev.  M.  C  Hutton  be  installed  pastor  at  Georgetown  on  the 
second  Sabbath  of  May.  Rev.  W.  T.  Spears  was  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Ebenezer.  Richland  church  was  dissolved. 
The  Revised  Directory  was  rejected  and  the  General  Assembly 
was  asked  to  discontinue  the  revision.  C.  M.  Staples  was  licensed 
to  preach.  The  subject  of  permitting  ruling  elders  to  act  as 
moderators,  was  before  the  church  at  this  time.  The  Presbytery 
adopted  a  resolution  against  it  by  a  vote  of  sixteeen  to  thirteen. 
The  controversy  concerning  evolution  in  connection  with  Colum- 
bia Seminary  and  Prof.  Woodrow  was  at  this  time  at  its  height. 
An  overture  was  sent  to  the  Assembly  containing  a  quite  elabor- 
ate statement  of  the  views  of  the  Presbytery  concerning  it. 
Action  had  been  frequently  taken  at  the  meetings  of  the  Presby- 
tery, directing  the  pastors  and  stated  supplies  to  perform  more  or 
less  missionary  labor.  At  this  meeting  they  were  requested  to 
devote  the  fifth  Sabbaths  to  evangelistic  work.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  attend  the  examination  of  the  theological 
class  at  Austin.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  given  to  the  professors 
for  their  disinterested  services.  Commissioners  to  the  General 
Assembly:  R.  K.  Smoot  and  O.  F.  Rogers. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  41 

REV.THOS.  M'HUTCHON. 

Rev.  Thomas  McHutchon  died  February  13,  1886.  He  was 
born  July  4,  1830,  near  Glasgow,  Scotland.  In  his  early  life  he 
was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  came  to  this  country 
about  1862,  and  lived  in  Indianapolis,  Iudiana.  In  his  youth 
he  displayed  the  same  traits  that  marked  his  mature  years,  the 
ease  in  making  his  way  to  the  hearts  of  his  companions,  and 
earnest  desire  to  serve  his  Savior.  He  labored  in  mission  schools 
in  Indianapolis;  one  of  these  schools  was  in  a  part  of  the  city  so 
rough  that  it  was  at  the  risk  of  life  that  Christian  labor  was  car- 
ried on.  The  school  grew  into  a  church,  and  at  the  time  of  Mr. 
McHutchon's  death  it  was  said  that  "eight  ministers  have  come 
out  of  that  school  and  the  church,  its  outgrowth."  The  state  of 
his  health  constraining  him  to  seek  a  milder  climate,  he  came  to 
Texas  in  1876,  and  after  spending  two  or  three  months  in  Wil- 
liamson county,  he  removed  to  Robinson,  where  he  resided  until 
licensed  to  preach  at  Mexia  in  April,  1882.  He  soon  became 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  of  the  Robinson  church, 
and  in  addition  labored  in  other  Christian  work,  such  as  prayer 
meetings  in  the  country.  "In  all  that  country  the  name  of 
McHutchon  is  almost  synonymous  with  Christian  love,  faith  and 
zeal."  He  had  not  the  academic  and  theological  training  re- 
quired ordinarily  to  enter  the  ministry  of  our  church,  but  his  ex- 
tended experience  and  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures, 
with  his  loving  zeal,  rendered  his  labors  in  the  ministry  most 
acceptable  and  effective.  After  his  licensure  he  labored  for  a 
time  at  Comanche  and  Coleman,  and  in  October  went  to  Unity 
church,  in  Coryell  county,  and  served  it,  Hamilton  and  Wilson 
Valley  for  two  years,  and  then  Unity,  North  Bosque  and  Gates- 
ville.  He  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist  at  Temple,  April  21, 
1886.  Mr.  McHutchon  was  married  in  Indiana,  in  1878,  to  Miss 
S.  E.  Ferguson,  who,  with  three  daughters,  survive  him.  Hav- 
ing suffered  long  with  consumption,  his  life  was  protracted  beyond 
what  he  expected.  He  died  as  he  had  lived,  in  full  hope  of  a 
glorious  immortality. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  at  Temple,  May  4,  Rev.  J.  K.  P.  New- 
ton was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Chickasaw,  and  Came- 
ron and  Maysfield  churches  given  permission  to  employ  him. 

The  Sixty-sixth  Meeting  was  held  at  Coleman,  September  2nd, 
1886.  Nine  ministers  and  seven  ruling  elders  were  present. 
Ballinger  church,  organized  by  evangelist  J.  H.  Zivley,  being  en- 
rolled. Mr.  Zivley  resigned  the  position  of  evangelist.  His 
resignation  was  accepted  with  a  hearty  expression  of  apprecia- 
tion of  his  diligence  and  fidelity. 

Rev.  J.  N.  Bradshaw,  of  Savannah  Presbytery,  being  on  a  visit 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE 

to  Texas,  was  present  at  the  meeting  and  was  elected  evangelist, 
but  did  not  accept. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  at  Round  Rock,  October  6th,  candi- 
date S.  J.  McMurray  was  licensed.  A  further  adjournment  was 
had  to  meet  in  Austin,  October  9th,  at  which  time  J.  N.  Lyle,  a 
ruling  elder  of  eleven  years'  standing,  and  of  liberal  and  profes- 
sional education,  was  licensed  to  preach.  At  a  called  meeting  at 
Austin,  November  15th,  candidate  R.  B.  Palmer  was  licensed, 
and  R.  E.  Lentz  was  received  as  a  candidate.  Another  meeting 
was  called  at  Austin,  Januar3r  26th,  1887,  to  appoint  a  committee 
to  organize  a  church  at  Mt.  Calm. 

The  Sixty-seventh  Meeting  was  held  at  Cameron,  April  7th, 
1887.  Eighteen  ministers  and  twenty-three  ruling  elders  were 
present.  Rev.  J.  H.  Leps  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Western  Texas,  and  Rev.  John  Woodruff,  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Solomon  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.  The  churches  of  Mt.  Calm,  Meridian 
and  Goldthwaite  were  enrolled.  Licentiates  W.  S.  Red  and  R. 
B.  Palmer  were  ordained.  Arrangements  were  made  to  install 
Mr.  Palmer  as  pastor  of  San  Saba  church  on  the  fifth  Sabbath  of 
May.  This  was  a  time  of  severe  drouth,  affecting  nearly  the 
whole  State.  In  view  of  it  the  seventeenth  day  of  April  was  ap- 
pointed a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for  rain.  An  overture  was 
sent  to  the  Assembly  to  take  steps  for  a  change  in  the  constitu- 
tion so  that  clerks  should  be  elected  only  for  a  limited  time,  not 
longer  than  five  years.  Another  overture  was  that  the  Assembly 
should  direct  the  clerks  to  advertise  for  bids  for  printing  the 
minutes.  The  result  of  this  was  that  the  printing  of  the  minutes 
was  given  to  the  Publication  Committee.  There  was  consider- 
able excitement  at  this  time  upon  the  subject  of  organic  union 
with  the  Northern  church.  The  Presbytery,  by  a  vote  of 
thirty-one  to  one  adopted  an  overture  to  the  Assembly,  asking 
that  they  give  no  favor  to  it,  but  discourage  any  movement  look- 
ing to  organic  union.  Rev.  H.  B.  Rose  had  been  for  some  time 
selling  books,  partly  as  a  colporteur  for  the  Presbytery.  At  this 
meeting  an  arrangement  was  made  to  employ  him  for  the  year 
ensuing,  giving  him  $300  in  addition  to  the  profits  on  sales. 
Commissioners  to  the  Assembly:  S.  A.  King,  R.  K.  Smoot,  R. 
H.  Flaniken,  T.  E.  Lankford. 

The  Presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  in  Austin,  May  4th,  at 
which  time  H.  M.  Smith  was  received  as  a  candidate  on  a  certifi- 
cate from  Mississippi  Presbytery.  John  Young,  candidate,  was 
received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Texas  and  licensed. 
Licentiate  S.  J.  McMurray  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of 
Burnet  church.  Rev.  Wm.  Boyd  asked  that  he  be  allowed  to 
dimit  the  ministry.     The  Presbytery  adjourned  again  to  meet  at 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  43 

the  same  place  on  the  18th  of  May.  Rev.  R.  E.  Sherrill  was  dis- 
missed to  the  Dallas  Presbytery.  Candidate  J.  P.  Robertson  was 
received  from  Arkansas  Presbytery  and  licensed. 

A  called  meeting  was  held  at  Burnet,  July  22nd,  1887,  to  or- 
dain licentiate  S.  J.  McMurray  and  install  him  pastor  of  the 
Burnet  church.  The  Presbytery  examined  Mr.  McMurray,  or- 
dained him,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  install  him.  It  does 
not  appear  that  this  committee  reported  their  action,  so  that  the 
minutes  contain  no  record  of  the  installation. 

The  Sixty-eighth  Meeting  took  place  at  Caldwell,  August  31st, 
1887.  Twelve  ministers  and  nineteen  ruling  elders  were  pres- 
ent. This  meeting  was  memorable  for  coming  just  after  a  rain 
that  caused  the  most  extensive  damage  to  the  railroads  ever 
known  in  the  State.  The  damage  in  the  bounds  of  this  Presby- 
tery was  mostly  in  the  northeastern  part  of  it,  but  it  interrupted 
and  disarranged  the  running  of  trains  extensively,  and  it  was 
only  by  watching  opportunities  and  catching  "stray  trains,"  that 
many  of  the  members  reached  the  place  of  meeting  on  the  second 
and  third  day.  That  the  records  were  there  at  all  was  due  to  the 
wife  of  the  stated  clerk,  who  accompanied  him  fifty  miles  in  a 
Duggy»  when  he  was  fortunate  enough  at  Clifton  to  find  a  loco- 
motive that  had  brought  up  a  load  of  timber  to  the  road  repair- 
ers (working  then  about  two  miles  above),  ordered  back  to 
Temple,  and  got  passage  in  the  caboose,  the  locomotive  and 
tender  running  backwards,  thus  reaching  Temple  at  9  o'clock 
Thursday  night.  From  Temple  he  had  the  company  of  several 
other  delayed  members  on  a  freight  train,  which  reached  Cald- 
well about  noon  on  Friday.  Rev.  W.  L,.  Lowrance  was  received 
from  the  Presbytery  of  Dallas,  and  arrangements  were  made  to 
install  him  pastor  of  Mexia  church.  Licentiate  John  Young  was 
ordained  and  order  made  for  his  installation  as  pastor  of  Temple 
church  on  the  fourth  Sabbath  of  September.  Rev.  M.  W.  Millard 
was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Memphis.  The  pastoral  re- 
lation between  Rev.  Wm.  George  and  the  Belton  church  was  dis- 
solved, and  he  having  calls  in  Western  Texas  Presbytery,  was 
given  permission  to  labor  outside  our  bounds.  Mathison  church 
was  dissolved,  and  the  members  transferred  to  Mexia.  Peculiar 
circumstances  seeming  to  render  a  reorganization  of  the  Dublin 
church  desirable,  it  was  dissolved,  and  permission  given  to  or- 
ganize at  or  near  Dublin.  J.  W.  Smith,  C.  H.  Dobbs,  jr.,  and 
M.  D.  Sansom  were  received  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  as 
candidates  for  the  ministry. 

Rev.  Wm.  Addison  Smith  had  died  shortly  before  this  meet- 
ing. He  was  born  in  Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  June  10th, 
1808.     He  graduated   at  Jackson    College,  Tennessee,  in    1836, 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE 

and  Princeton  Seminary  in  1840,  and  was  licensed  by  New 
Brunswick  Presbytery  in  1841.  He  labored  two  years  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  three  in  Illinois,  and  was  pastor  for  about  seven 
years  of  Bethel  church,  in  Mississippi.  He  came  to  Texas  in 
1852,  and  lived  in  Western  Texas.  He  became  a  member  of  this 
Presbytery  in  1865.  At  that  time,  he  was  living  in  Bastrop. 
He  preached  for  some  time  at  Georgetown,  and  for  the  Pleasant 
Hill  (now  Leander)  church,  and  afterwards  at  Unity  and  Co- 
manche. The  last  six  years  of  his  life,  he  resided  with  his  son, 
Rev.  J.  Addison  Smith,  at  Des  Peres,  Missouri,  where  he  died 
August  4th,  1887. 

A  called  meeting  took  place  at  Temple  December  1st,  1887. 
Rev.  R.  K.  Moseley  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Western 
Texas.  Including  Mr.  Moseley,  there  were  seven  ministers  and 
two  elders  present.  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  was  elected  evangelist, 
and  requested  to  enter  upon  the  work  at  once. 

The  Sixty-ninth  Meeting  took  place  at  Mexia,  April  18th, 
1888.  Ministers  present,  including  those  enrolled,  nineteen; 
ruling  elders,  thirteen.  Rev.  L.  H.  Kimmons  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Washburn.  Licentiate  J.  P.  Robertson  was 
ordained.  W.  J.  Tidball  was  licensed.  A  commission  was  ap- 
pointed to  install  Rev.  R.  K.  Moseley  as  pastor  of  the  Cameron 
church,  on  the  second  Sabbath  in  June.  The  churches  of  Taylor, 
Hebron  and  Goldthwaite  were  dissolved.  At  Goldthwaite,  the 
majority  of  the  members  had  moved  to  California  a  few  months 
after  the  church  was  organized.  Mason  church  having  trans- 
ferred herself  to  the  Northern  church,  was  dropped  from  the 
roll.  This  church  had  received  $200  from  the  Church  Erection 
Fund.  This  money  was  returned.  The  Presbyterial  Committee 
of  Sustentation  was  directed  to  take  liens  on  all  church  build- 
ings aided  from  the  Home  Mission  funds.  The  churches  were 
directed  to  take  collections  for  Round  Rock  Institute.  An  over- 
ture from  the  Cameron  church,  respecting  religious  newspapers, 
was  answered,  showing  that  the  editors  of  such  ought  to  be  held 
accountable  to  the  church  courts  for  the  character  of  the  matter 
they  publish  concerning  the  doctrines,  institutions,  courts  and 
officers  of  the  church.  Commissioners  to  the  Assembly,  S.  A. 
King,  R.  K.  Smoot,  J.  W.  Storey,  and  J.  F.  Thompson. 

The  Presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  in  Bel  ton  May  8th.  Rev. 
W.  George  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Western  Texas. 
Candidates  J.  A.  Montgomery  and  J.  M.  Purcell  were  received 
from  the  Presbyteries  of  Orange  and  Arkansas  respectively. 
Order  was  made  to  ordain  licentiate  W.  J.  Tidball,  at  Round 
Rock,  on  the  third  Sabbath  in  May,  and  to  ordain  and  install  J. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  45 

M.  Purcell  pastor  of  the  Belton  church  on  the  fourth  Sabbath  of 
May. 

REV.  THOMAS  WHAREY,  D.  D. 

Thomas  Wharey  was  born  in  Louisa  county,  Virginia,  March 
22d,  1833,  and  died  in  Corsicana,  March  24th,  1888.  He  was 
the  son  of  Rev.  Jas.  Wharey,  long  a  pastor  in  the  old  Presbytery 
of  Hanover,  who  died  in  1842.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of 
Major  James  Morton,  in  Prince  Edward,  sister  of  Mrs.  John  H. 
Rice  and  of  Dr.  Wm.  Morton.  After  her  husband's  death,  she 
returned  to  the  vicinity  of  Hampden  Sidney  College,  and  lived 
there  during  the  education  of  her  children.  Her  sons  graduated 
with  distinction,  under  the  presidency  of  Dr.  Lewis  Green. 
Thomas  held  the  position  of  tutor  in  the  college  for  some  time, 
but  about  1854,  entered  Union  Seminary,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1857.  He  was  ordained  and  became  pastor  of  Briery 
church,  Roanoke  Presbytery,  in  1858,  in  which  relation  he  con- 
tinued till  he  removed  to  Texas,  in  1885.  During  this  time,  he 
was  assistant  instructor  in  the  seminary  one  year,  '59-' 60,  and 
pastor  of  Drake's  Branch  three  years,  '78-' 81.  He  became  a 
member  of  this  Presbytery  in  the  spring  of '86,  and  was  installed 
pastor  of  Corsicana  church  the  first  of  June  of  that  year.  While 
yet  a  student,  he  was  attacked  by  pulmonary  disease,  which 
showed  from  time  to  time  in  copious  hemorrhages  from  the  lungs, 
one  of  which,  following  after  an  attack  of  jaundice,  terminated 
his  life.  He  thus  lived  a  large  part  of  his  life  face  to  face,  as  it 
were,  with  death;  and  told  his  friends,  during  his  last  illness, 
that  he  and  death  had  looked  each  other  in  the  face  so  often  that 
they  were  old  and  familiar  acquaintances.  Yet  he  was  the  soul 
of  cheerfulness,  entering  with  zest  into  every  form  of  social  en- 
joyment, and  charming  the  young  by  his  wit  and  humor  and 
warm  impulses.  With  his  able,  and  often  eloquent  preaching, 
he  was  thus  a  pastor  greatly  beloved  and  often  sought  after,  and 
was  permitted  to  see  much  of  the  fruits  of  his  labor  while  yet  on 
earth. 

The  Seventieth  Meeting  was  held  at  Bartlett  (Nazareth  church) 
October  3,  1888.  Ministers  present  sixteen,  ruling  elders  six- 
teen. The  Grove  church  with  eighteen  members,  and  Dublin 
with  twenty-one  members,  organized  by  C.  H.  Dobbs,  evangel- 
ist, were  enrolled.  Rev.  J.  H.  Leps  was  dismissed  to  Montgom- 
ery Presbytery  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Zivley  to  Nashville.  E.  L-  Storey 
was  received  as  a  candidate,  and  a  commission  was  appointed 
to  examine  and  receive  E.  L.  Weiss.  Rev.  John  Young  was  re- 
leased from  the  pastoral  charge  of  Temple  church  and  an  order 
made  for  his  installation  at  Gatesville  and  Unity  on   the  second 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Sabbath  of  November.  Rev.  W.  G.  McDonald  had  removed  to 
the  bounds  of  the  Eastern  Texas  Presbytery  and  asked  for  a  dis- 
mission at  the  spring  meeting.  Complaints  concerning  him  hav- 
ing come  to  the  Presbytery  from  Comanche,  where  he  had  been 
preaching,  a  commission  was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  mat- 
ter. On  the  report  of  the  commission,  a  dismission  was  granted 
him,  but  accompanied  by  an  admonitory  letter.  This  was  the 
most  serious  judicial  business  that  the  Presbytery  thus  far  in 
its  history  had  been  called  on  to  transact. 

An  overture  was  ordered  sent  to  the  Assembly  protesting 
against  the  proposal  for  co-operative  union  with  the  P.  C,  U.  S. 
A.,  at  this  time  being  agitated. 

The  committee  in  charge  of  the  invalid  fund  was  instructed 
when  in  need  of  information  concerning  the  circumstances  of 
persons  applying  for  aid  to  ask  it  of  the  deacons  of  the  church 
to  which  the  applicants  belonged,  and  they  would  be  required  to 
give  the  information  in  their  official  capacity.  To  an  overture 
from  Georgetown,  it  was  answered:  "That  the  Presbytery  has 
the  constitutional  authority  to  appoint  a  minister  to  perform  a 
duty  that  requires  him  to  be  absent  from  his  pulpit,  without  the 
approval  of  the  session." — Form  of  Government,  Chap.  V.,  Sec. 
IV.,  Par.  VI.  Concerning  the  Austin  School  of  Theology,  the 
Presbytery  expressed  their  thanks  to  God  for  his  continued 
blessings  on  this  school,  and  to  the  self-denying  teachers  who 
have  so  willingly  given  to  it  their  time  and  talents.  The  work 
of  the  evangelist  was  highly  commended. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Waco,  February  27,  1889,  .Rev.  C-.  R- 
Dudley,  D.  D.,  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Mississippi, 
and  a  commission  was  appointed  to  install  him  pastor  of  Corsicana 
church  on  the  fifth  Sabbath  of  March.  An  urgent  request  came 
from  Dallas  for  Rev.  W.  L-  Lowrance  to  engage  in  work  in  new 
churches  to  be  organized  in  that  city.  The  Mexia  church  sent 
an  earnest  protest  against  their  pastor  being  taken  from  them,  but 
Mr.  Lowrance  stated  that  with  the  lights  before  him,  he  had  de- 
cided to  ask  to  be  released.  After  careful  consideration  the  pas- 
toral relation  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Lowrance  was  dismissed  to 
Dallas  Presbytery.  Including  Mr.  Lowrance  and  Dr.  Dudley, 
there  were  present  five  ministers  and  five  ruling  elders.  Three 
of  the  elders  were  from  churches  interested  in  the  business  of  the 
meeting. 

The  Seventy-first  Meeting  was  held  at  Austin,  May  7,  1889. 
Present,  ministers,  eighteen;  ruling  elders,  twenty-two.  Rev.  C. 
M.  Hutton  was  received  from  Tuscaloosa  Presbytery.  Rev.  S.  J. 
McMurray  was  released  from  the  pastoral  charge  of  Burnet  church, 
and  R.  B.   Palmer   from   that  of  San  Saba,  and    they  were  dis- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  47 

missed,  the  former  to  Western  Texas  Presbytery,  and  the  latter 
to  Pueblo,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.  Mr.  Palmer  was  in  bad  health  and 
did  not  live  long.  The  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  J.  M.  Pur- 
cell  and  the  Belton  church  was  dissolved,  and  a  commission  was 
appointed  to  install  Rev.  J.  P.  Robertson  pastor  of  that  church 
on  the  fifth  Sabbath  of  June.  J.  A.  Montgomery,  E.  E.  Weiss 
and  R.  E.  Eentz  were  licensed.  Mr.  Montgomery  was  dismissed 
to  the  Brazos  Presbytery.  The  case  of  Rev.  A.  B.  Wilkes  has 
been  mentioned.  As  he  had  never  united  with  this  Presbytery 
the  question  arose  whether  he  was  under  our  jurisdiction  or  that 
of  Columbia  Presbytery  by  which  he  had  been  dismissed.  The 
case  had  been  referred  to  the  Synod,  and  it  decided  that  this 
Presbytery  had  jurisdiction.  The  Presbytery  was  not  satisfied 
that  this  was  correct,  and  by  an  overture  at  this  meeting  asked 
the  General  Assembly  to  decide  the  question.  The  Assembly 
decided  that  the  Presbytery  which  had  dismissed  him,  had  still 
jurisdiction  over  him. 

It  was  ordered  that  hereafter  all  honorary  or  official  titles  ex- 
cept Rev.,  in  connection  with  the  names  of  members  of  this 
body,  be  omitted  from  the  minutes.  The  presbytery  in  a  body 
attended  the  examination  of  the  students  in  the  Theological 
school.  Rev.  T.  E.  Johnson,  who  had  been  teaching  Greek  and 
Hebrew  in  the  school,  was  elected  professor.  Commissioners  to 
to  the  Assembly,  R.  K.  Moseley,  C.  H.  Dobbs,  R.  H.  Flani- 
ken,  J.  M.  Brown. 

The  Seventy-second  Meeting  took  place  at  the  Unity  church, 
September  4,  1889.  Ministers  present,  eleven;  ruling  elders  s;x. 
That  the  place  of  meeting  was  fifteen  miles  from  the  railroad, 
perhaps  was  in  part  the  reason  for  a  small  attendance.  L.  H. 
Kimmons  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Missouri,  and  W. 
J.  Tidball  to  Dallas  Presbytery.  The  Wilson  Valley  church  was 
dissolved  and  the  members  transferred  to  the  Unity  church.  N. 
W.  McMillan,  a  ruling  elder  of  the  Grove  church,  and  G.  W. 
Morris,  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church,  were  received  as  can- 
didates. Licentiate  L>  M.  Weiss  was  dismissed  to  the  Western 
Texas  Presbytery. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Temple,  October  14th,  the  pastoral  re- 
lation between  Rev.  R.  H.  Moseley  and  the  Cameron  church  was 
dissolved.  Present  at  the  meeting  four  ministers  and  two  ruling 
elders. 

The  Seventy-third  Meeting  was  held  at  Temple,  April  3,  1890. 
Present,  ministers,  fourteen;  ruling  elders,  twenty-two.  Rev. 
Joshua  Phipps  was  received  from  Holston  Presbytery.  Rev.  J. 
S.  Willbanks  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Arkansas,  and 
an  order  made  for  his  installation  as  pastor  of  Mexia  church  on 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  3rd  Sabbath  of  May.  R.  K.  Moseley  was  dismissed  to  Dallas 
Presbytery,  and  W.  S.  Red  to  Brazos.  Licentiate  R.  E.  Lentz 
was  ordained.  Licentiate  T.  C.  Johnson  was  received  from  Green- 
brier Presbytery.  P.  H.  Burney  was  received  as  a  candidate. 
The  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  John  Young  and  Unity  church 
was  dissolved.  The  Presbytery,  on  report  of  an  ad  interim  com- 
mittee on  the  subject  of  societies,  recommended  that  the  Assem- 
bly encourage  the  formation  of  local  societies  under  the  care  of 
the  sessions,  but  declare  against  their  organization  into  Presby- 
terial  or  any  other  kind  of  unions,  also  that  it  impress  upon  the 
lower  courts  the  impropriety  of  employing  societies  outside  the 
church  as  agencies  for  the  collection  of  funds,  or  any  work  for 
which  the  organized  church  is  responsible.  On  the  subject  of 
the  tithe,  that  the  law  of  the  tithe  is  not  in  force  under  the  New 
Testament,  but  there  are  no  objections  to  individuals  adopting  this 
method,  and  its  general  adoption  would  probably  result  in  a 
large  increase  in  the  funds  of  the  church.  The  revised  directory 
was  again  before  the  body  and  was  rejected,  with  a  recommenda- 
tion that  the  Assembly  place  it  in  the  hands  of  the  new  commit- 
tee for  revision. 

An  apportionment  among  the  churches  of  the  amounts  needed 
for  the  various  causes  of  benevolence  was  ordered  printed  and 
distributed  among  the  churches.  Commissioners  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  M.  C.  Hutton,  I.  N.  White. 

An  adjourned  meeting  was  held  at  Cameron,  April  17th.  Rev. 
J.  T.  Sailes  was  received  from  Red  River  Presbytery,  and  order 
made  for  his  installation  as  pastor  of  Cameron  church  on  the  first 
Sabbath  of  May.  A  special  committee  was  appointed  to  en- 
deavor to  secure  the  services  of  a  second  general  evangelist. 

The  Seventy-fourth  Meeting  was  at  Robinson  church,  August 
27th,  1890.  Ministers  present,  including  those  ordained,  nine- 
teen; ruling  elders,  thirteen.  Rev.  C.  L-  Ewing  was  received 
from  Holston  Presbytery.  Licentiate  E.  L.  Siler  was  received 
from  Mecklenburg  Presbytery,  and  R.  C.  Anderson  from  Roan- 
oke. Licentiates  H.  M.  Smith,  E.  L.  Siler,  R.  C.  Anderson  and 
T.  Carey  Johnson,  were  ordained.  Order  was  made  for  the  in- 
stallation of  Mr.  Anderson,  as  pastor  of  San  Angelo  church,  on 
the  4th  Sabbath  of  September,  and  E.  L.  Siler,  as  pastor  of 
Caldwell  church,  on  the  2d  Sabbath  of  September.  The  pastoral 
relation  between  Rev.  J.  Young  and  the  Gatesville  church  was 
dissolved.  R.  E.  Harding  and  S.  J.  Keeble  were  received  as 
candidates.  Licentiate  J.  N.  Lyle  was  permitted  to  return  his 
license.  The  Golinda  church  was  dissolved,  and  the  members 
transferred  to  Robinson.  The  Round  Rock  Institute  had  re- 
ceived, from  time  to  time,  a   good  deal  of  attention.     A  school 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  49 

had  been  kept  up  from  the  beginning,  but  the  difficulties  of 
running  it  without  endowment  were  great,  and  at  this  meeting 
it  was  determined  to  give  up  the  enterprise  and  return  the  build- 
ing to  the  citizens  of  Round  Rock.  A  commission  was  appoint- 
ed to  investigate  certain  rumors  concerning  Rev.  John  Young. 
Prof.  T.  C.  Johnson  resigned  his  position  in  the  Austin  School 
of  Theology,  and  the  Presbytery  pledged  itself  to  pay  a  $400 
salary  to  any  one  the  trustees  might  appoint.  The  narrative 
contains  the  following:  "We  have  an  evangelist  who  has  been 
in  diligent  work  in  the  field,  as  the  result  of  which  there  have 
been  nearly  one  hundred  additions  to  the  membership  of  the 
churches.  An  additional  evangelist  has  been  employed  in  two 
of  the  counties,  supported  by  private  subscription.  It  is  a  grati- 
fying fact  that  we  have  added  nine  ministers  to  our  roll,  and  two 
others  are  expected  by  the  meeting  of  Synod.  Two  houses  of 
worship  are  building,  $500  has  been  subscribed  for  a  third,  and 
considerable  improvement  made  on  a  fourth.  Two  manses  have 
been  built." 

REV.  J.  H.  LEPS. 

Circumstances  had  prevented  Rev.  J.  H.  Leps  from  uniting 
with  the  Presbytery  to  which  he  was  dismissed,  and  on  May  3rd, 
1889,  he  died.  Under  these  circumstances  the  Presbytery  placed 
on  record  a  memorial  of  him.  He  was  born  near  Copon  Springs, 
Hampshire  county,  West  Virginia,  May  23rd,  1823.  He  pre- 
pared for  college  under  Rev.  W.  Henry  Foote.  He  graduated  at 
Princeton  College  and  Theological  Seminary.  He  was  ordained 
by  Greenbrier  Presbytery  in  1853,  and  for  four  years  was  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Kunawha  Salines.  In  after  years  he  had  occa- 
sion to  rejoice  in  the  fruits  of  his  faithful  planting  in  this  field. 
In  May,  1857,  he  became  pastor  of  the  Parkersburg  church, 
Winchester  Presbytery.  In  this  charge  he  continued  till  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war.  He  entered  the  army  as  chaplain  and 
was  distinguished  for  fearlessness  on  the  field  as  well  as  for  zeal 
in  preaching  Christ,  and  enjoyed  the  unbounded  confidence  of 
all  who  knew  him.  After  the  war  he  took  charge  of  Frankford 
and  Falling  Spring  churches,  and  for  a  time  of  the  high  school 
in  Frankford.  His  labors,  both  in  the  school  and  in  the  church, 
were  abundantly  successful,  and  he  was  honored  and  beloved  in 
all  that  country.  In  1884,  he  removed  to  Seguin,  Texas,  and 
for  two  years  was  actively  engaged  in  evangelistic  work  in  West- 
ern Texas  Presbytery.  In  July,  1886,  he  removed  to  Marlin,  and 
for  two  years  preached  to  that  field.  His  fine  social  qualities 
and  earnest  and  faithful  preaching  endeared  him  to  all  who  knew 
him  here  as  in  other  places.  In  1888,  he  returned  to  Virginia, 
when,  a  few  months  afterwards,  he  was  called  to  his  reward. 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE 

At  a  called  meeting  held  in  Austin,  October  14th,  the  commis- 
sion on  Mr.  Young's  case  rendered  their  report,  recommending 
that  an  admonition  be  administered,  which  was  accordingly  done. 
Candidate  J.  E.  McLelland  was  received  on  a  certificate  from 
Nashville  Presbytery. 

At  a  called  meeting  held  in  Waco,  October  24th,  Rev.  C.  R. 
Dudley  was  released  from  the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Corsicana 
church  and  dismissed  to  Dallas  Presbytery. 

At  a  called  meeting  held  in  Waco,  January  15th,  1891,  Rev. 
E.  I<.  Dale  was  received  from  Pine  Bluff  Presbytery,  and  S.  W. 
Mitchell  from  Eastern  Texas  Presbytery.  The  pastoral  relation 
between  Rev.  J.  S.  Willbanks  and  the  Mexia  church  was  dis- 
solved, and  at  Mr.  Willbanks'  request,  a  commission  was  ap- 
pointed to  investigate  certain  rumors  injurious  to  himself. 

Another  called  meeting  was  held  in  Waco,  February  5th,  1891. 
Rev.  T.  C.  Johnson  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Louisville. 
The  commission  appointed  at  the  previous  meeting  rendered  their 
report,  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Willbanks  was  impeached  for  immoral 
conduct  and  summoned  to  appear  at  the  spring  meeting  for  trial. 

The  Seventy-fifth  Meeting  took  place  at  Ballinger,  April  15, 
1891.  Ministers  present,  eighteen;  ruling  elders,  fourteen.  Rev. 
J.  N.  McFarlane  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Upshur, 
Missouri.  C.  M.  Hutton  and  Malcom  Black  were  dismissed  to 
Dallas  Presbytery  and  J.  Phillips  to  Western  Texas.  Rev.  C.  L,. 
Ewing  was  installed  pastor  of  Ballinger  church.  Licentiate  N. 
W.  McMillan  was  ordained.  The  church  of  Mart,  organized  by 
evanglist  C.  H.  Dobbs,  was  enrolled.  C.  H.  Dobbs  offered  his 
resignation  of  the  office  of  evangelist,  and  his  resignation  was 
accepted.  Rev.  L-  Tenney  resigned  the  office  of  stated  clerk 
and  Rev.  C.  W.  Peyton  was  elected  stated  clerk.  It  was  made 
a  standing  rule  that  the  stated  clerk  should  be  elected  at  the 
spring  meeting,  every  three  years,  by  ballot.  Frank  R.  Robin- 
son, member  of  Llano  church,  and  Samuel  Roach,  of  Coleman, 
were  taken  under  care  as  candidates.  The  churches  of  Blue 
Ridge,  Round  Rock,  Prairie  View,  Brown  county,  Meridian  and 
Fairfield  were  dissolved.  Rev.  J.  S.  Willbanks,  charged  with 
violation  of  seventh  commandment  as  interpreted  in  our  stand- 
ards, was  tried,  convicted  and  deposed  from  the  ministry. 

An  overture,  referred  to  an  ad  interim  committee  at  the  fall 
meeting,  asking  whether,  if  a  church  member  in  regular  stand- 
ing, requests  the  dissolution  of  his  church  relationship,  and  the 
session  grants  his  request  and  erases  his  name  from  the  roll,  the 
action  is  constitutional,  was  answered  in  the  negative.  An  over- 
ture, asking  whether  names  of  members  returned  upon  a  separate 
roll  are  to  be  reported  to  Presbytery,  was  answered  in  the  nega- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  5  I 

tive.     Commissioners   to  the  General  Assembly:  C.  W.  Peyton, 
J.  M.  Purcell,  W.  C.  Dodson,  J.I.  Guion. 

At  a  called  meeting,  held  at  Austin,  May  8,  candidates  J.  W. 
Smith  and  J.  M.  McL,elland  were  licensed.  Mr.  Smith  was  trans- 
ferred to  Dallas  Presbytery  and  Mr.  McEelland  to  Western 
Texas. 

At  a  called  meeting,  held  at  Corsicana,  May  28,  a  call  from 
the  Corsicana  church  for  the  pastoral  services  of  Rev.  J.  N. 
McFarlane,  was  placed  in  his  hands,  and  it  being  accepted,  he 
was  installed. 

August  nth,  a  called  meeting  at  Cameron,  dissolved  the  pas- 
toral relation  between  Rev.  J.  T.  Sailes  and  the  Cameron  church 
and  dismissed  him  to  the  Presbytery  of  Red  River  that  he  might 
enter  on  evangelistic  work  there. 

The  Seventy-sixth  Meeting  was  held  at  Caldwell,  October  16, 
1891.  Ministers  present,  twelve;  ruling  elders,  eleven.  Rev.  J. 
C.  Grow  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Paris;  J.  W.  Siler 
from  Mecklenburg,  and  W.  J.  Tiddball  from  Dallas.  R.  E.  Lentz  . 
was  dismissed  to  Mecklenburg.  Candidate  R.  E.  Hardin  was 
licensed.  The  Hubbard  cburch,  organized  by  Rev.  S.  A.  King, 
was  enrolled.  Candidate  J.  Johnson  was  received  on  a  transfer 
from  Arkansas  Presbytery.  The  license  of  C.  M.  Staples  was 
recalled.  Rev.  H.  B.  Boude  was  elected  evangelist,  but  did  not 
accept. 

At  a  called  meeting  in  Austin,  January  22,  1892,  an  order  was 
made  to  organize  a  church  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city.  The 
Presbytery  then  adjourned  to  the  31st,  and  at  that  time  organized 
the  church  with  twenty  members,  one  ruling  elder  and  one 
deacon.     The  church  was  named  Highland. 

February  1,  1892,  a  meeting  was  called  at  Belton,  to  elect  an 
evangelist.  Rev.  A.  R.  Shaw,  of  the  Fayetteville  Presbytery, 
was  elected. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Temple,  March  10,  the  time  for  the 
stated  meeting  was  changed  from  April  6th  to  April  13th.  Rev. 
S.  W.  Mitchell  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Memphis,  and 
the  Robinson  church  received  permission  to  prosecute  a  call  for 
the  pastoral  services  of  Rev.  S.  J.  McMurry. 

The  Seventy  seventh  Meeting  was  held  at  Georgetown,  April 
15,  1892.  Present,  ministers,  eighteen;  ruling  elders,  twenty- 
two.  Revs.  Wm.  Hughes,  from  the  Presbytery  of  Boston  United 
Presbyterian  church,  and  A.  R.  Shaw,  from  the  Presbytery  of 
Fayetteville,  were  received.  Highland  and  Lott  churches  were 
enrolled.  Arrangements  were  made  for  the  installation  of  R.  L. 
Dale  as  pastor  of  the  Temple  church.  R.  C.  Anderson  being  led 
by  domestic  affliction  to  tender  his  resignation  as  pastor  of  San 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Angelo  church,  the  relation  was  dissolved  and  he  was  dismissed 
to  the  Presbytery  of  Montgomery.  The  name  of  the  Waco 
church  was  changed  to  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Waco.  A 
commission  was  appointed  to  ordain  R.  E.  Hardin,  which  was 
done  at  Hubbard  City  on  April  26.  L,.  L.  McShaw  (colored),  a 
member  of  Cameron  church,  was  received  as  a  candidate  and 
recommended  to  the  faculty  of  Tuscaloosa  Institute.  The  Pres- 
bytery again  voted,  unanimously,  against  the  revised  directory. 
Commissioners  to  the  Assembly:  J.  P.  Robertson,  S.  A.  King, 
G.  M.  Suggs,  J.  P.  Vance.  Dr.  King  was  chosen  moderator  of 
the  Assembly. 

The  body  adjourned  to  meet  at  Robinson  on  June  1st.  There 
being  no  quorum  at  that  time,  adjourned  again  to  July  1st,  at 
the  same  place.  Rev.  S.  J.  McMurry  was  received  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Western  Texas,  and  a  commission  appointed  to  install 
him  pastor  of  Robinson  church,  which  was  done  on  the  first  Sab- 
bath of  July,  1892.  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs  was  given  a  dismission, 
and  candidate  C.  H.  Dobbs,  Jr.,  a  transfer  to  Greenbriar  Presby- 
tery.    Rev.  J.  W.  Siler  was  dismissed  to  Mecklenburg  Presbytery. 

The  Seventy-eighth  Meeting  took  place  at  Gatesville,  August 
31,  1892.  Present,  seventeen  ministers  and  twelve  ruling  elders. 
Rev.  R.  M.  Loughridge  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Mus- 
kogee P.  C,  U.  S.  A.  Order  was  made  for  the  installation  of  J. 
M.  Purcell,  as  pastor  of  Highland  church,  on  the  second  Sabbath 
of  September. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  in  Corsicana,  during  the  sessions  of 
the  Synod,  Rev.  G-  T.  Storey  was  received  from  the  Presbytery 
of  Central  Mississippi,  and  an  order  was  made  for  his  installa- 
tion as  pastor  of  San  Angelo  church,  on  the  third  Sabbath  of 
November. 

At  a  called  meeting  in  Waco,  February  1,  1893,  S.J.  McMurry 
requested  that  the  pastoral  relation  between  him  and  the  Robin- 
son church  be  dissolved.     The  request  was  refused. 

Domestic  affliction  led  Rev.  E.  L.  Siler  to  ask  for  the  dissolution 
of  the  pastoral  relation  between  the  Caldwell  church  and  him- 
self, and  a  dismission  to  the  Presbytery  of  Mecklenburg,  and  the 
request  was  granted  at  a  called  meeting  at  Belton,  April  3,  1893 

The  narrative  of  the  fall  meeting  mentioned  the  death  of  Rev 
W.  W.  C.  Kelly,  who  had  been  in  the  Presbytery  but  a  short 
time  and  had  had  no  charge  as  a  member  of  it.  He  died  Octo 
ber  20,  1891.  He  had  come  to  Texas,  about  1871,  from  Missis 
sippi,  and  settled  at  San  Marcos,  and  at  that  place  andLockhart 
or  in  that  region,  preached  or  taught  until  he  came  to  Austin 
where  he  was  engaged  in  teaching  until  he  became  too  infirm 
He  became  a  member  of  this  Presbytery  in  October,  1885. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  53 

The  Seventy-ninth  Meeting  was  held  at  Cameron,  April  26, 
1893.  Present,  seventeen  ministers  and  fourteen  ruling  elders. 
Rev.  W.  S.  Baker  was  received  from  the  Presbytery  of  Arkansas, 
and  Rev.  H.  M.  Sydenstricker  from  the  Presbytery  of  Trinity  P. 
C,  U.  S.  A.  Rev.  Wm.  Hughes  was  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery 
of  Dallas,  and  Rev.  J.  S.  Greenlee  to  the  Presbytery  of  Brazos. 
Rev.  S.  J,  McMurry  was  released  from  the  pastoral  charge  of 
Robinson  church  and  dismissed  to  the  Presbytery  of  Western 
Texas.  The  pastoral  relation  between  Rev.  J.  M.  Purcell  and 
the  Highland  church  was  dissolved.  Candidate  D.  W.  Morris 
was  licensed,  The  churches  of  Santa  Anna,  Spring  Creek,  and 
Lingelville  were  enrolled.  A.  R.  Shaw  offered  his  resignation  as 
evangelist,  which  was  accepted.  C.  L-  Means  was  received  as  a 
candidate.  The  Brownwood  church  dismissed  to  this  Presbytery 
by  the  Trinity  Presbytery,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  was  enrolled.  The 
practice  that  had  been  followed  for  a  number  of  years  of  requir- 
ing written  narratives  from  church  sessions,  spring  and  fall, 
was  changed  by  substituting  for  the  fall  meetings  the  older  cus- 
tom of  a  Free  Conversation  on  the  State  of  Religion.  An  offer 
being  made  to  transfer  Daniel  Baker  College,  at  Brownwood,  to 
this  Presbytery,  a  commission  was  appointed  to  attend  to  the 
business. 

The  Presbytery  enjoined  upon  the  sessions  under  its  care  to 
exercise  the  greatest  caution  in  admitting  persons  to  their  pul- 
pits, that  none  except  those  who  have  been  called  by  the  Spirit, 
and  with  the  approval  of  an  organized  court  of  the  church  of 
Christ,  are  entitled  to  exercise  the  functions  of  the  Gospel  min- 
istry in  our  pulpits.  An  overture  to  the  General  Assembly,  to 
define  more  closely  the  relation  of  candidates  to  the  Presbytery, 
was  answered  by  that  body  thus:  "Candidates  are  under  the  di- 
rection and  control  of  the  Presbytery,  both  in  regard  to  their 
conduct,  and  the  schools,  colleges  and  seminaries  they  shall  at- 
tend; but  the  authority  in  regard  to  schools  attended  should  be 
exercised  with  prudence." 

Commissioners  to  the  General  Assembly:  S.  A.  King,  J.  N. 
McFarlane,  W.  McB.  Smith,  D.  M.  Currie. 

At  a  called  meeting  at  Temple,  May  22,  the  commission  on  the 
matter  of  the  transfer  of  Daniel  Baker  College,  made  their  report. 
Terms  had  been  agreed  upon,  but  they  were  subsequently 
changed. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  at  Waco,  the  Second  Presbyterian 
church  of  Waco  was  organized,  with  41  members  dismissed  from 
the  First  church.  Rev.  A.  R.  Shaw  was  installed  pastor  of  the 
church . 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Rev.  A.  H.  P.  McCurdy  was  elected  evangelist,  but  did  not 
accept. 

The  Eightieth  Meeting  was  held  at  Brownwood,  September 
13th,  1893.  There  were  nineteen  ministers  and  twenty  ruling 
elders  present.  Rev.  G.  S.  Robinson  was  received  from  the  Pres- 
bytery of  Lexington.  Licentiate  D.  N.  Yarbro  was  received  from 
the  Presbytery  of  Paducah  and  ordained.  Order  was  made  for 
the  installation  of  Rev.  H.  B.  Rose  as  pastor  of  Highland  church. 
John  A.  Black  and  Hugh  V.  Tull  were  received  as  candidates. 

At  the  spring  meeting  steps  had  been  taken  looking  to  the 
restoration  of  J.  S.  Willbanks  to  the  ministry,  and  he  had  been 
authorized  to  preach  as  a  probationer.  He  was  now  dismissed  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Eastern  Texas.  At  this  meeting  the  order 
was  made  for  the  writing  of  this  history. 

A  memorial  of  J.  H.  Hutchins,  who  had  been  an  elder  in  the 
Austin  church  from  before  the  organization  of  the  Presbytery, 
was  adopted.  He  was  one  of  the  few  in  the  Austin  church,  as  it 
was  in  the  time  of  the  war,  who  stood  firmly  on  the  side  of  the 
Southern  church,  and  one  of  about  a  dozen  who,  when  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  the  majority  voted  to  go  with  the  Northern 
church,  stood  firm  and  were  recognized  by  this  Presbytery  as  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Austin.  He  died  July  24th,  1893,  in  the 
80th  year  of  his  age. 

Presbytery  adjourned  to  meet  in  Fort  Worth  during  the  ses- 
sions of  the  Synod.  Rev.  J.  M.  Cochran  was  received  from  the 
Presbytery  of  Eastern  Texas,  and  J.  A.  Creighton    from  Dallas. 

Daniel  Baker  College  occupied  a  large  share  of  the  time  both 
at  Brownwood  and  at  Fort  Worth,  but  no  arrangement  that 
proved  satisfactory  was  arrived  at. 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCHES. 

A  biographical  notice  of  Rev.  Hugh  Wilson  is  contained  in  the 
history  at  its  proper  place.  A  brief  notice  of  the  other  original 
members  is  in  place. 

Rev.  John  T.  Balch,  was  born  in  Green  county,  Tennessee, 
December  12,  1809.  He  studied  theology  at  Princeton.  After 
preaching  two  years  in  Tennessee  and  eight  years  in  Arkansas, 
he  came  to  Western  Texas  in  1850,  and  to  the  Brazos  Presbytery 
in  1853.  He  died  in  Minden,  Louisiana,  on  his  fifty-second 
birthday,  December  12,  1861.  After  his  death  his  family  re- 
turned to  Texas.  One  of  the  candidates,  now  under  the  care  of 
the  Presbytery,  Mr.  H.  V.  Tull,  is  his  grandson. 

Rev.  Wm.  M.  Baker,  after  he  went  North  in  1866,  pursued  a 
literary  career  besides  his  labors  in  the  ministry.     He  wrote  his 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  55 

father's  biography  in  1S58  and  1859,  and  while  living  in  Austin 
during  the  war  wrote,  "An  Inside  View  of  Secessia."  He  wrote 
afterwards  several  works  of  fiction,  and  acquired  a  considerable 
reputation  in  this  field.  One  of  his  books,  Carter  Quarterman, 
contains  in  Dr.  Quarterman  a  more  vivid  picture  of  what  his 
father,  Dr.  Daniel  Baker,  was,  than  does  his  biography  of  him. 
He  died  in  Boston,  Massachusetts,  August  20,  1883. 

Rev.  R.  F.  Bunting's  career,  after  he  left  this  Presbytery,  is 
pretty  well  known.  When  he  took  charge  of  the  church  in  San 
Antonio,  he  set  himself  to  the  task  of  securing  a  house  of  wor- 
ship for  the  congregation,  and  succeeded  in  bringing  to  the  state 
in  which  it  was  used  for  years,  the  present  church  building. 
During  the  war,  or  most  of  it,  he  was  the  efficient  chaplain  of 
the  "Texas  Rangers."  He  was  for  some  time  pastor  of  the  first 
church  in  Nashville,  Tennessee,  afterwards  in  Galveston,  and 
other  charges.  For  a  time  he  was  financial  agent  of  the  S.  W. 
Presb.  University.  He  died  suddenly  of  heart  disease  on  the 
cars,  September  19,  1891.  Dr.  Bunting  was  a  most  active  and 
tireless  worker  at  whatever  he  undertook. 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE 


Organization  and  History  of  Churches. 


FREE   CHURCH,  AUSTIN. 

In  October,  1839,  Rev.  W.  Y.  Allen,  having  sent  an  appoint- 
ment before,  rode  an  Indian  pony  from  Houston  to  Austin,  then 
about  four  months  old  and  having  about  six  hundred  inhab- 
itants, to  preach.  He  spent  the  Sabbath  on  the  way  at  a  camp- 
meeting  at  Ruttersville,  conducted  by  the  distinguished  Meth- 
odist pioneer,  Rev.  Rob't  Alexander.  Arriving  in  Austin  at 
night  on  the  Saturday  following,  he  preached  on  the  Sabbath, 
October  18th,  in  Bullock's  Hotel,  and  in  the  afternoon  organized 
a  Presbyterian  church  of  six  members.  The  ruling  elders  were 
Mr.  Bullock  and  James  Burke.  Mr.  Allen  says  of  the  com- 
munion that  it  was  something  that  had  never  been  witnessed  so 
far  southwest  by  Protestants  on  the  American  continent.  The 
church  was  one  of  the  five  enrolled  by  the  Brazos  Presbytery  at 
its  organization  the  following  April.  In  1840  a  Mr.  Crow,  from 
Indiana,  preached  for  the  church  some  months.  The  same  year 
a  church  building  of  logs  was  erected  on  the  ground  now  occu- 
pied by  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church.  It  was  not  fin- 
ished, and  was  never  occupied,  and  in  1844  was  blown  down  by 
a  tornado.  In  1842,  in  consequence  of  an  invasion  of  Mexicans 
and  Indians,  the  town  was  deserted  for  a  time  by  the  government 
and  most  of  the  people.  So  far  as  is  known,  no  records  of  the 
church  have  been  preserved.  Ic  1846,  it  is  mentioned  in  the 
records  of  the  Presbytery,  with  the  statement  that  it  was  not 
then  known  whether  any  members  were  left,  and  in  1848  it  was 
omitted  from  the  roll.  In  that  year,  Dr.  Baker  commenced 
preaching  in  the  town,  and  in  May,  1850,  a  church  was  organ- 
ized by  Rev.  W.  M.  Baker,  with  five  members.  It  was  enrolled 
by  the  Presbytery  Oct.  29th,  185 1,  having  then  thirty-eight 
members  and  two  elders.  At  the  same  time  an  order  was  made 
for  Mr.  Baker's  installation  as  pastor  of  the  church  on  the  2d  of 
November:  Rev.  S.  F.  Cocke  to  preach  the  sermon,  Rev.  J.  W. 
Miller  to  give  the  charge  to  the  people,  Dr.  Baker  to  the  pastor. 

In  1 86 1,  the  church  reported  ninety-one  members.  Mr.  Baker 
continued  pastor  till  1866,  when  he  removed  to  Ohio.  The  ma- 
jority of  the  church  resolved  to  adhere  to  the  church,  North. 
They  also  held  the  church  building,   a  small  house  standing 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  57 

where  the  Northern  church  now  stands.  About  a  dozen  mem- 
bers, including  two  of  the  elders,  determined  to  adhere  to  the 
Southern  church,  and  were  recognized  by  the  Presbytery  of 
Central  Texas  as  the  Austin  church. 

For  several  years  they  had  no  preaching,  except  as  supplies 
were  sent  from  time  to  time  by  the  Presbytery.  In  the  fall  of 
'68,  Rev.  A.  A.  Porter  visited  the  church,  and  in  the  following 
spring  removed  to  Texas  and  took  charge  of  the  church.  He 
was  sent  by  the  Home  Mission  Committee.  Dr.  Porter  supplied 
the  church  till  prostrated  by  the  sickness  which  ended  in  his 
death  December  8th,  1872.  During  this  time  the  membership 
increased  to  about  seventy,  and  the  site  for  the  present  house  of 
worship  was  secured. 

Dr.  Porter  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Henry  McDonald.  During 
his  time,  twenty-one  members  were  added,  and  the  foundation 
laid  and  the  walls  erected  of  the  present  house  of  worship.  At 
the  laying  of  the  corner-stone,  Dr.  B.  M.  Palmer  made  an  ad- 
dress, holding  a  large  audience,  mostly  standing,  immovable  for 
nearly  two  hours.  He  also  preached,  while  there,  several  times 
in  the  capitol. 

In  July,  1874,  a  call  was  extended  to  Dr.  R.  K.  Smoot,  of 
Bowling  Green,  Kentucky.  He  visited  Austin,  and  was  instru- 
mental in  starting  an  effort,  which  met  with  a  good  measure  of 
success,  to  raise  money  to  carry  on  the  work  upon  the  church 
edifice.  He  did  not  accept  the  call.  In  November,  '74,  Rev. 
John  S.  Grasty,  D.  D.,  of  Shelbyville,  Kentucky,  was  called  to 
the  pastorate.  He  took  charge  of  the  church  soon  after,  and  was 
installed  pastor  May  9th,  '75.  By  joint  request,  the  relation  was 
dissolved  June  23d,  '76,  Dr.  Grasty  having  removed  to  Missouri 
some  time  before.  During  the  first  part  of  his  ministry,  services 
were  held  in  Smith's  Opera  House.  Money  was  borrowed  to 
complete  the  church  building,  and  it  was  occupied  for  the  first 
time  in  June,  1875.  In  the  autumn  of  that  year,  the  Synod  of 
Texas  met  in  the  building.  During  his  pastorate,  there  were 
forty-five  accessions  to  the  roll  of  members. 

Dr.  Smoot  was  again  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  having  ac- 
cepted the  call,  took  charge  of  the  church  in  October,  '76,  and 
was  installed  May  13th,  '77.  This  pastorate  still  continues,  and 
for  ten  years  the  pastor  has  performed  the  additional  labor  of  a 
professor  in  the  Austin  School  of  Theology,  and  has  had  the 
largest  share  of  the  care  and  labor  of  organizing  the  school. 
The  church  has  enjoyed  a  steady  prosperity  and  growth  in  num- 
bers. From  April,  '77,  to  April,  '94,  the  additions  reported  are 
613 — 285  on  examination,  and  328  by  letter.  The  present  mem- 
bership, 319.     In  '86,  the  house  of  worship  was  remodeled  and 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE 

enlarged,  and  the  church  was  incorporated  under  the  name  of 
the  Free  Presbyterian  Church.  The  disbursements  for  church 
purposes  have  been  about  $111,000.  At  the  time  of  the  disrup- 
tion, the  elders  were  A.  H.  Cook,  J.  H.  Hutchins  and  Wm. 
Smythe.  The  two  former  had  held  the  office  from  near  the  time 
of  the  organization,  in  1850. 


A.  H.  Cooke.     Died  February  22,  '84. 

J.  H.  Hutchins.     Died  July  24,  '93. 

G.  Rogar.     Died  May  9,  '80. 

Dr.  Cluff. 

Dr.  Rob't  Grant,  July  18,  '75.     Died  July  17,  '88. 

J.  N.  Lyle,  July  18,  '75.     Dis.  July  28,  '78. 

J.  B.  Winn,  December  31,  '83. 

J.  M.  Brown,  December  31,  '83. 

L,.  A.  Graham,  March  12,  '93. 

W.  R.  Moore,  March  12,  '93. 

J.  L-  Blain,  March  12,  '93. 

DEACONS. 

Z.  T.  Fulmore.     Res.  May  6,  '78. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Burt.     Died  July  10,  '86. 

R.  J.  Loving,  July  1,  '77. 

Benj.  S.  Pillow,  July  1,  '77. 

E.  B.  Mitchell,  July  i,  '77. 

Calvin  McCorkle,  '79. 

Clark  Red,  '79. 

J.  T.  K.  McPhail,  October  10,  '79. 

T.  W.  Gregory,  October  10,  '79. 

C.  B.  Daniel,  October  10,  '79. 

C.  W.  Hopkins,  October  io,  '79. 

R.  C.  Walker,  September  7,  '84. 

Chas.  Moore,  Jan.  31,  '92. 

W.  W.  Wiggins,  February  19,  '93.     Dis.  to  Fort  Worth. 

J.  B.  Davis,  May  25. 

Milton  Morris,  May  25. 

BALLENGER. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Ballenger  was  organnized 
July  25,  1886,  by  evangelist  J.  H.  Zivley,  with  nine  members 
and  one  ruling  elder.  Mr.  Zivley  was  S.  S.  for  about  two 
years.  Evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs  preached  some  for  the  church, 
but  the  records  do  not  show  how  much.  Also  D.  A.  Planck 
while  he  was   at  San  Angelo.     Rev.  C.  L.  Ewing  took  charge  of 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  59 

the  church  June    i,  1890,  and  April    19,  was  installed  pastor  by 
the  Presbytery  then  in  session  in  the  church. 

The  growth  of  the  church  has  been  steady  and  substantial,  and 
seasons  of  revival  have  been  enjoyed  from  time  to  time.  Present 
membership,  70.  Total,  in. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

J.  R.  Burt,  at  organization. 

M.  Barker,  June  23,  1888. 

I.  F.  Vaughn,  December  15,  1889. 

J.  I.  Guion,  December  15,  1889. 

P.  McGregor,  July  16,  1893. 

deacons. 

R.  H.  McAlpine,  at  organization. 

J.J.  Erwin,  December  16,  1889. 

A.  H.  Van  Pelt,  December  16,  1889. 

J.  A.  Gammil,  December  16,  1889. 

Jas.  Wilson,  July  16,  1893. 

The  house  of  worship  was  completed  in  189 1,  but  was  not  dedi- 
cated till  October  29,  1893.  The  church  also  owns  a  comfortable 
manse  worth  $1000. 

BELTON. 

Rev.  L.  Tenney  preached  at  Bel  ton  monthly  from  1855  to  l857- 
There  were  a  few  Presbyterians  there  but  not  enough  to  warrant 
organizing  a  church.  Early  in  i860,  he  commenced  again  a 
monthly  appointment,  and  October  21st,  of  that  year,  organized 
the  church  with  eight  members,  and  Erasmus  Walker  and  Robt. 
Miller  as  elders.  He  continued  to  preach  to  the  church  through 
1 86 1.  In  1862  or  '63,  R.  M.  Overstreet  was  employed,  but  how 
long  he  preached  is  uncertain.  Some  members  were  received, 
among  them  J.  J.  Robertson,  now  a  member  of  the  Session.  L,. 
Tenney  preached  again  monthly  from  early  in  '69  to  the  spring 
of  '75.  He  had  preached  for  the  first  time  in  Belton,  in  April, 
'54,  in  a  school  house  weather- boarded  with  rough  split  boards. 
The  Cumberland  Presbyterians  soon  after  built  a  house,  mostly  at 
the  expense  of  one  man.  That  church  did  not  last  long,  and  the 
building  was  afterwards  turned  into  a  school  house.  The  services 
from  '55  to  '57,  were  in  this  building,  from  '69  for  a  time  in  the 
Methodist  church,  and  afterward  in  a  Union  church.  There  were 
twenty  members  in  the  spring  of  '75. 

Rev.  W.  F.  Gillespie  was  S.  S.  from  May,  '75,  to  November 
18,  '76,  preaching  about  half  the  time. 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE 

C.  W.  Peyton,  licentiate,  ordained  April,  '78,  was  S.  S.  from 
the  fall  of  '77,  till  May,  '85. 

Rev.  W.  George,  D.  D.,  P.,  May  31,  '85,  to  September,  '87. 

J.  M.  Purcell,  licentiate,  S.  S.,  November,  '87,  to  May,  '88;  P., 
till  May,  '89. 

J.  P.  Robertson,  P.,  June  1,  '89. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

E.  Walker,  October  21,  i860.     Died  1893. 

Robert  Miller,  October  21,  i860.  Dismissed;  died  at  Hamil- 
ton. 

A.  A.  Black,  June  25,  1871.  Dismissed  at  organization  at 
Temple. 

R.  M.  Huie,  June  25,  187 1.  Dismissed. 

J.  J.  Robertson,  June  4,  1882. 

A.  M.  Montith,  June  4,  1882. 

W.  T.  Shannon,  August  15,  1886. 

J.  C.  Means,  May  17,  1891. 

W.  McB.  Smith,  May  17,  1891. 

J.  W.  L,ee,  May  17,  1891. 


Rev.  M.  C.  Conoley  settled  in  the  western  part  of  Milam  county 
in  the  winter  of  i867-'68,  and  opened  a  school  in  a  neighborhood 
where  there  were  no  Presbyterians.  He  did  not  become  a  mem- 
ber of  Central  Texas  Presbytery  till  the  fall  of  1871.  June  nth 
of  that  year  the  Bethel  church  was  organized  by  A.  J.  Lough- 
ridge  and  elders  R.  H.  Flanniken  and  J.  W.  Shive,  a  committee 
of  the  Presbytery.  There  were  seven  members,  mostly  of  Mr. 
Conoley's  family.  Mr.  Conoley  supplied  the  church  till  the 
spring  of  1877;  A.  J.  Loughridge,  1877-1879;  R.  M.  Tuttle, 
1879-1880;  W.  F.  Gillespie,  1880-1881;  G.  T.  Lyle,  1883-1884. 
R.  E.  Sherrill  was  invited  to  preach  to  the  church  in  1884,  but 
preached  only  a  few  times  on  account  of  ill  health.  In  1891, 
after  the  church  had  been  vacant  about  seven  years,  N.  W.  Mc- 
Millan was  invited  to  take  charge.  Only  ten  or  twelve  members 
could  then  be  found  within  reach,  but  there  are  now  nearly  forty 
names  on  the  roll,  and  a  good  Sabbath  school  and  prayer  meet- 
ing. The  number  of  members  enrolled  has  been  about  sixty, 
about  forty-five  of  them  on  profession  of  faith. 

BEULAH. 

The  Beulah  church,  at  Shive,  Hamilton  county,  was  organ- 
ized February  24,   1884,  by  evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs,  with  ten 


PRESBYTERV  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  6l 

members  and  one  ruling  elder,  J.  W.  Shive.  Mr.  Shive  and  his 
family,  and  his  son's  family,  had  settled  there  a  short  time  be- 
fore. There  were  a  few  members  already  residing  there.  They 
started  a  Sabbath  school,  which  has  continued  to  the  present  time, 
and,  though  in  a  community  little  used  to  such  things,  and  little 
disposed  to  keep  the  Sabbath,  it  has  drawn  many  from  outside 
the  church  and  exerted  a  very  great  influence  for  good.  W.  E. 
Shive  preached  to  the  church  in  1884,  and  M.  Black  from  1886 
to  1889;  C.  H.  Dobbs,  part  of  1891  and  1892;  otherwise  the 
services  have  been  only  occasional.  The  total  number  of 
members  enrolled  is  thirty-six,  and  there  are  now  on  the  roll 
seventeen.  In  February,  1884,  Job  Cooper  was  made  an  elder 
a  few  days  after  the  organization,  and  in  November,  1891,  J. 
G.  Jones.  Mr.  Cooper  was  an  old  man,  and  died  some  years 
since.  The  Shive  families  moved  west  in  1891  or  1892.  There 
is  now  but  one  ruling  elder,  Mr.  Jones,  and  the  members  are 
mostly  females  and  children,  but  the  Sabbath  school  is  kept  up, 
and  the  church  seems  to  give  promise  of  bearing  good  fruit. 

The  church  has  had  deacons,   R.  L.  Shive,  M.  F.  Clark  and 
M.  B.  Roddy,  only  one  of  whom  is  now  serving. 


In  May,  1874,  Rev.  H.  B.  Rose,  who  had  come  from  Virginia 
some  months  before,  was  received  by  the  Presbytery  at  an  ad- 
journed meeting  at  Waxahachie.  At  the  same  meeting  Mr. 
Rose  and  Elder  P.  H.  Turk,  of  Pleasant  Hill  church,  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  organize  a  church  at  Burnet.  August 
1 2th  of  the  same  year  the  church  was  organized  by  them  with 
twelve  members:  Capt.  D.  P.  Curry,  Dr.  John  McSwean,  A.  M. 
Ramsey,  and  their  wives,  Misses  Sallie  R.,  Susan  W.  and  Minnie 
C.  Curry,  Miss  Ida  McSwean,  Mrs.  Fannie  Warden  and  Mrs.  A. 
R.  Culton.  Capt.  Curry,  Dr.  McSwean  and  Mr.  Ramsey  were 
made  ruling  elders. 

Mr.  Rose  preached  for  the  church  monthly  till  October,  1875, 
services  being  held  in  the  rock  school  house.  Some  months 
after,  W.  F.  Gillespie  commenced  monthly  services  and  continued 
till  September,  1881,  when  Mr.  Rose  returned  to  Burnet  and 
preached  monthly  till  the  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1883. 
The  house  was  completed  in  July;  cost  about  $2000,  all  paid  up. 
From  this  time  there  were  services  three,  and  part  of  the  time 
four  Sabbaths  per  month,  and  a  prayer  meeting  and  Sabbath 
school  were  organized.  The  church  continued  to  grow  till,  in 
1887,  sixty  members  were  reported.  For  some  years  past  the 
membership  has   greatly  diminished,  mainly  by   removals,   the 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE 

number  reported  in  1893  being  only  twenty-eight.  Seven  mem- 
bers were  dismissed  to  the  Spring  Creek  church  when  it  was  or- 
ganized in  January,  1893.  The  Sabbath  school  has  been  kept 
up  continuously,  though  not  more  than  half  as  large  now  as  it 
was  some  years  ago.  "The  few  earnest  members  left  have 
labored  hard  to  keep  the  church  together."  The  total  number 
of  members  that  have  been  enrolled  to  April,  1893,  is  about  125. 

MINISTERS. 

H.  B.   Rose,  S.  S.,   August,  '74,  October,  '75;   also    Septem- 
ber, '81,  April,  '86. 

W.  F.  Gillespie,  '75,  September,  '81. 

S.  J.  McMurry,   S.  S.,   October,  '86;    P.,  July,  '87,  May,  '89. 

H.  M.  Smith,  S.  S.,  April,  '90,  March,  '91. 

J.  C.  Grow,  S.  S.,  May,  '91. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

Capt.  D.  P.  Curry,  August,  12,  '74.     Died,  May,  '83. 
Dr.  J.  McSwean,  August  12,  '74. 
A.  M.  Ramsey,  August  12,  74.' 

D.  L.  Emmett,  March,  '81. 

John  Carruth,  1883.     Died,  June,  '84. 

E.  B.  Carruth,  '83.     Dis.,  March,  '87. 
Jas.  W.  Kyle,  '83.     Dis.,  August,  '89. 
Chas.  R.  Sherrill,  July,  '87.     Dis.,  July,  '93. 
Maj.  John  B.  Sherrard,  September,  1S91. 


D.  L.  Emmett,  August,  '79,  March,  '81. 

M.  J.  McSwean,  August,  '79.     Died,  July,  '84. 

J.  R.  Hudson,  '81.     Dis.,  November,  '93. 

D.  L-  Luce,  '87.     Dis.,  July,  '90. 

Henry  P.  Rose,  November,  '91.     Dis.,  March,  '93. 

CALDWELL. 

[See  Yellow  Prairie.] 

The  present  Caldwell  church  was  organized  by  C.  H.  Dobbs, 
evangelist,  with  eleven  members — S.  G.  Ragsdale  and  J.  H. 
Wallace,  ruling  elders — July  1,  '85.  (There  seems  to  be  a  con- 
fusion of  dates,  placing  the  election  and  installation  of  officers 
and  first  meeting  of  session,  June  29.)  The  records  make  no 
mention  of  any  supply,  except  the  evangelist,  till  the  early  part 
of '88,  when  J.  P.  Robertson  became  S.  S.,  and  continued  with 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  63 

the  church  till  the  latter  part  of  '89,  supplying  two  or  three 
other  churches  at  the  same  time.  From  '89,  E.  L.  Siler  served 
the  church  as  S.  S.  till  September,  '90,  and  thence  as  pastor  till 
'93.     Total  members  from  beginning,  37;  present  number,  26. 

CAMERON. 

The  Cameron  church  was  organized  September  17th,  '82,  with 
thirteen  members  by  Rev.  A.  S.  Doak,  Presbyterial  evangelist. 
The  ruling  elders  were  T.  E.  Lankford,  John  B.  McLane,  R.  I. 
McCalla  and  W.  D.  Paden.  The  church  has  been  active  and  lib- 
eral. A  handsome  church  building  was  erected  in  the  spring  of 
'87  at  a  cost  of  $6500.  A  manse  has  also  been  erected  on  the 
same  block  with  the  church,  costing  $2000.  The  total  number 
of  members  enrolled  to  April,  '84,  is  142.  The  present  number, 
94.  Licentiate  D.  N.  Yarbro  was  ordained  while  serving  the 
church,  October,  '93. 

MINISTERS. 

M.  C.  Hutton,  S.  S.,  January  1,  '83,  to  December  31,  '85. 
J.  K.  P.  Newton,  S.  S.,  January  i,  '86,  to  July  1,  '87. 
R.  K.  Moseley,  P.,  August  1,  '87,  to  November,  '89. 
J.  T.  Sailes,  P.,  February  16,  1890,  to  July  1,  '91. 
J.  W.  Siler,  S.  S.,  September  1,  '91,  to  July,  '92. 
Dr.  J.  T.  Hendricks,  S.  S. 

D.  N.  Yarbro,  S.  S.,  July  1,  '93,  to  July  1,  '94. 

J.  K.  P.  Newton,  S.  S.,  August  1,  '93,  to  December  31,  '94. 
John  M.  Shive,  P.  E-,  '95. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

T.  E.  Lankford,  September  17,  '82.     Died,  October  15,  '87. 
John  B.  McLane,  September  17,  '82. 
R.  I.  McCalla,  September  17,  '82. 
W.  D.  Paden,  September  17,  '82. 

E.  J.  Mclver,  November  9,  '87. 

J.  F.  Thompson,  November  9,  '87. 
C  A.  Lankford,  November  9,  '87. 

DEACONS. 

W.  H.  Frirson,  March  11,  '87. 
Johnson  Robertson,  March  11,  '87. 
C.  A.  Pitts,  January  17,  '88. 
C.  W.  Lawrence,  January  17,  '88. 
Samuel  Streetman,  November  21,  '89. 
Robert  McLane. 


64  HISTORY  OF  THE 

CAROLINA. 

The  Carolina  church  was  organized  October  12,  1853,  with 
eleven  members  and  two  ruling  elders,  A.  V.  Lea  and  J.  Hobbs, 
by  Rev.  John  T.  Balch.  The  organization  took  place  at  the 
house  of  A.  V.  Lea,  on  Elm  Creek,  five  miles  from  Cameron, 
near  where  the  Cameron  and  Port  Sullivan  road  crosses  the  creek. 
The  church  was  at  first  named  Elm  Creek,  but  as  most  of  the 
members  soon  after  determined  to  move  to  Deer  creek,  in  Falls 
county,  it  appears  that  the  name  was  changed  to  Deer  Creek  be- 
fore the  organization  was  reported  to  the  Presbytery.  It  was 
changed  to  Carolina  in  October,  1854.  A  young  man,  A.  B. 
Frazier,  was  appointed  clerk  of  sessions,  but  it  does  not  appear 
that  he  was  an  elder.  He  was  drowned  soon  after  in  Elm  creek. 
The  removal  took  place  in  the  fall  of  1854.  Mr.  Hobbs  did  not 
go  to  Deer  creek,  and  some  time  after  he  and  his  wife  joined  the 
Methodist  church.  Rev.  L.  Tenney  took  charge  of  the  church 
in  December  of  1854,  was  installed  pastor  in  April  of  1856,  by 
the  Presbytery,  which  held  its  spring  meeting  then,  and  this  re- 
lation continued  till  the  end  of  1859.  The  first  church  building 
was  erected  in  1855  by  Mr.  Lea's  sons,  of  lumber  which  they 
sawed  by  hand.  The  present  church  was  erected  in  '83,  and 
dedicated  in  '84,  H.  Calvin  Smith  preaching  the  sermon.  Mr. 
Balch  preached  for  the  church  several  times  and  ordained  the 
elders  chosen  in  '54.  L.  Tenney  preached  to  the  church  most  of 
the  time  from  '63  until  '68,  and  again  supplied  it  from  '71  until 
'75.  Rev.  S.  A.  King  was  S.  S.  during  '69,  and  J.  A.  Walker  in 
'70;  R.  M.  Loughridge  from  '76  to  '80;  J.  F.  Paxton  in  '81  and 
'82.  Since  then  it  has  been  grouped  with  Robinson  church,  A. 
S.  Drake  being  S.  S.  in  '84  and  '85;  C.  W.  Peyton,  '85  to  '90; 
S.  W.  Mitchell,  '90  and  '91;  S.  J.  McMurry,  '92  and  '93;  J.  M. 
Cochran  from  October,  '93.  Total  number  of  communicants  en- 
rolled, 154;  present  number,  48. 

ELDERS. 

A.  V.  Lea,  from  organization  until  death,  about  1871. 

J.  Hobbs,  from  organization  until  joined  Methodist  church. 

John  J.  Long,  October  12,  '54;  removed.     (Dead). 

Isaac  D.  Wright,  October  12,  '54;  removed  and  joined  Metho- 
dist church.     Died  in  '51  or  '52. 

G.  W.  Stotey,  September  12,  '68. 

W.  L.  Pattillo,  September  12,  '68;  dismissed  to  Marlin,  '74. 

E.  P.  Lea,  January  22,  '73;  removed  to  Sweetwater  about  '87. 

John  Bouchillon,  December  26,  '75. 

David  M.  Currie,  December  26,  '75. 

Benj.  F.  Bouchillon,  November  16,  '84.     (Dead.) 

Thos.  B.  White,   1890. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  65 

DEACONS. 

J.  B.  Storey,  December  21,  '84. 

B.  F.  Bouchillon. 

D.  M.  Currie. 

J.  D.  Storey,  1890. 

COLEMAN. 

The  Coleman  church  was  organized  October  26,  1879,  by  Rev. 
O.  F.  Rogers,  who  had  been  appointed  to  the  work  by  the  Pres- 
bytery, with  eleven  members.  J.  E.  McCord  and  J.  P.  Price 
were  installed  ruling  elders,  and  J.  R.  Dobbins  and  J.  L.  Spicer, 
deacons.  Mr:  Spicer  was  ordained.  The  earliest  records  of  the 
church  were  lost.  Rev.  O.  F.  Rogers  served  the  church  for  a 
time,  then  J.  A.  McMurray,  evangelist.  While  at  Abilene,  Rev. 
J.  M.  Cochran  preached  at  Coleman  once  a  month,  a  part  of  the 
time  at  least.  W.  G.  McDonald  was  S.  S.  in  '86.  J.  H.  Zivley 
preached  a  short  time;  W.  E.  Spicer  from  the  Spring  of  '88 
about  a  year.  D.  A.  Planck  was  S.  S.  in  '89,  and  C.  L,.  Ewing 
from  July,  '90,  until  August,  '92.  The  church  has  been  vacant 
a  large  part  of  the  time,  and  has  been  visited  and  services  held  at 
different  times  by  the  Presbyterial  evangelists  and  other  ministers. 
Rev.  G.  S.  Robinson  is  at  present  supplying  it.  The  total  en- 
rollment from  the  beginning  is  about  90;  present  membership,  58. 
The  first  house  of  worship,  erected  in  '83,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$3000,  was  blown  down  in  '84.  The  present  commodious  build- 
ing was  completed  in  '86.  In  June,  '93,  the  manse  was  com- 
pleted.    The  church  property  is  valued  at  $5000. 

COMANCHE. 

Comanche  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  Neil  McDonald  on 
the  fourth  Sabbath  (27th)  of  December,  '74,  with  four  members, 
R.  P.  McCrary,  ruling  elder.  Rev.  McDonald  had  visited  and 
preached  in  Comanche  several  times  previously.  Returning  from 
his  next  visit  after  the  organization  of  the  church  he  contracted 
pneumonia,  which  terminated  his  life  on  the  third  of  February. 
First  communion  mentioned  April,  '76,  two  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian brethren  assisting.  During  '76  the  ruling  elder  was  killed 
and  R.  H.  Carr  and  D.  C.  B.  Dunlap  were  chosen,  June  7,  '77, 
Rev.  L,.  Tenney  preaching  the  ordination  sermon.  Rev.  W.  A. 
Smith  served  the  church  from  '75  to  '79;  J.  A.  McMurray,  evan- 
gelist, '80  to  '84;  J.  S.  Greenlee,  '84  and  '85;  W.  G,  McDonald, 
'85  to  '87;  C.  H.  Dobbs,  evangelist,  '88  and  '90;  R.  M.  Tuttle, 
'90  and '91;  C.  H.  Dobbs,  '91  and  '92.  In  '92  W.  S.  Baker 
preached  a  few  times,  and  C.  L.  Ewing  commenced  to  supply  the 
church.     Mr.  Dunlap  having  removed,  T.  O.  Moore  was  chosen 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE 

ruling  elder  in  '85,  is  still  in  office,  and  has  superintended  the  Sab- 
bath school.  Mr.  Carr  died  in  '92,  and  C.  N.  Curtiss  was  chosen 
ruling  elder.  The  church  has  a  house  of  worship  which  was 
erected  about  '84.  Total  membership  to  date,  61;  present  num- 
ber, 30. 

NAZARETH. 

Nazareth  church  was  organized  by  L-  Tenney  and  Elder  R. 
M.  Hein,  of  the  Belton  church,  June  20,  '75.  A.  J.  Loughridge 
and  Elder  Sydney  Seymour  were  on  the  committee,  but  were  not 
present.  The  organization  took  place  near  Indian  creek,  four 
miles  west  of  Bartlett.  The  members  were  nine — Mrs.  Mary 
Kelso,  her  sons  and  daughters,  one  daughter-in-law  and  one  son- 
in-law,  J.  M.  Robinson.  They  had  come  from  Spartanburg  dis- 
trict, South  Carolina,  some  time  before.  Mr.  Robinson  had  been 
licensed  to  preach  in  South  Carolina.  Two  ruling  elders  were 
elected  and  installed,  J.  F.  Kelso  and  J.  M.  Robinson,  the  latter 
being  ordained.     J.  S.  Kelso  was  ordained  and    installed  deacon. 

Mr.  Robinson  served  as  ruling  elder  until  he  was  ordained  to 
the  ministry  in  October,  '77.  He  was  S.  S.  from  the  organization 
until  the  spring  of  '83.  During  the  first  part  of  the  time  W.  F. 
Gillespie  preached  on  the  fifth  Sabbaths,  by  invitation. 

G.  T.  Lyle,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  the  time,  March,  .'83-84. 

R.  E.  Sherrill,  one-half  the  time,  Sept.,  '84-March,  '87. 

C.  H.  Dobbs,  evangelist,  August,  '84  to  end  of  year,  monthly. 

L-  H.  Kimmons,  S.  S.,  one-half  time,  March,  '88-Feb.,  '89. 

C.  M.  Hutton,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  time,  April,  '95-April,  '90. 

J.  M.  Robinson,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  time,  Nov.,  '91-Sept.,  '93. 

J.  M.  Pnrcell,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  time,  since  Sept.,  '93. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

J.  M.  Robinson,  June  20,  '75  to  Oct.,  '77. 

J.  F.  Kelso,  June  20,  '75. 

W.  F.  Bouchelle,  Nov.,  '75.  Dismisssed  May,  '85,  to  Corn  Hill. 

Augustus  Moss,  June,  '84.     Died  January,  '93. 

J.  S.  Kelso,  August  9,  '90. 

C.  H.  Smith,   August  9,  '90. 


J.  S.  Kelso,  June  20,  '75,  Jo  August  9,  '90. 

T.  B.  Moss,   May  11,  '84.     Died  June  8,  '86. 

H.  R.  Kelso,  May  n,  '84. 

John  D.  Robinson,  August  9,  '90. 

Original  members,  9.   Total  enrolled,  57.    Present  number,  41. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  6j 

CORN    HILL. 

The  church  of  Corn  Hill,  in  Williamson  county,  twelve  miles 
north  of  Georgetown,  was  organized  by  C.  H.  Dobbs,  evangelist, 
June  8,  1884,  with  eight  members,  G.  B.  Morgan  and  W.  K. 
Bouchelle,  ruling  elders.  The  total  number  enrolled  from  the 
beginning  is  thirty-one;  present  number,  sixteen.  But  of  the 
sixteen,  the  elder,  G.  B.  Morgan,  and  his  family,  seven  members, 
have  removed  to  Copperas  Cove,  forty  miles  away,  leaving  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Corn  Hill  only  nine,  and  those  much  scattered. 
The  church  has  been  served  at  irregular  intervals  by  C.  H. 
Dobbs,  J.  M.  Robinson,  R.  E.  Sherrill,  and  J.  M.  Purcell  and 
J.  P.  Robertson  while  licentiates;  also  statedly  by  M.  C.  Hutton, 
from  October,  '86,  to  December,  '88;  Joshua  Phipps  one  year, 
from  fall  of '89,  and  N.  W.  McMillan  one  year,  from  fall  of  '90. 
An  additional  elder,  S.  G.  B.  Morgan,  was  installed  August  29,  '86. 
J.  J.  Morgan  was  installed  as  deacon,  in  July,  '85,  and  Frank  L,. 
Massey,  August,  '86.  The  latter  has  since  joined  the  Methodist 
church.  During  Mr.  Hutton's  ministration  a  meeting  was  held 
at  which  there  were  seven  or  eight  additions. 

CORSICANA. 

Corsicana  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  S.  A.  King,  evangel- 
ist, May  30,  1868,  with  six  members;  Robt.  Cook,  ruling  elder. 

"There  is  no  mention  of  any  special  season  of  outpouring,  but 
the  church  seems  to  have  kept  growing  like  other  Texas 
churches;  that  is  spasmodically.  Perhaps  to-day  there  is  more 
true  growth  of  divine  life  within  our  membership  than  at  any 
previous  time." 

MINISTERS. 

Hillery  Moseley,  S.  S.,  '68,  November  13,  '75. 

J.  G.  Fackler,  S.  S.,  '76. 

J.  A.  McMurray,  S.  S.,  '77,  November,  '79. 

S.  M.  Luckett,  S.  S.,  latter  half  of  '80. 

H.  W.  Woods,  pastor,  January,  '81,  June,  '82. 

H.  Calvin  Smith,  S.  S.,  January,  '84,  June,   '85. 

Thos.  Wharey,  D.  D.,  pastor,  May,    '85.     Died  March  24,  '88. 

C.  R.  Dudley,  D.  D.,  pastor,  December  1,  '88,  November  1,  '90. 

J.  N.  McFarlane,  S.  S.,  November  1,  '90,  pastor,  May  28,   '91. 

Total  members,  435;  present  number,  152. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

Robert  G.  Cook,  at  organization.     Died  in  office. 
Mark  H.  Bird,  installed  March,  '71.     Died  July  3,  '82. 
R.  S.  Davidson,  ordained  and   installed  March    12,  '71.     Dis- 
missed October  16,  '72. 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE 

J.  W.  Gulick,  installed  January  20,  '72.  Expelled  October  8, 
1881. 

P.  M.  Cammon,  January  20,  '72.     Died,  '90. 

F.  T.  Gillespie,  ordained  and  installed  February  20,  '78.  Re- 
moved to  Florida,  '85. 

J.  T.  Vance,  ordained  and  installed  February  1,  '82. 

W.  T.  Hall,  installed  February  1,  '82.  Dismissed  October  2, 
1892. 

John  Wareing,  ordained  and  installed  March  14,  '86. 

James  S.  Roxburgh,  ordained  and  installed  May  28,  '89. 

A.  B.  Frey,  installed  September  11,  '92. 

R.  G.  Latting,  jr.,  November  20,  '92.     Dismissed. 
Present  Session:     J.    T.  Vane,  J.  Wareing,  A..   B.   Frey,  J.  E. 
Roxburgh,  S.  C. 

DEACONS. 

H.  M.  Morrison,  ordained  and  installed  January  20,  '72;  dis- 
missed February,  '82;  reinstated  July  i,  '88.  Died  January  12, 
1893. 

B.  B.  Frye,  ordained  and  installed  January  20,  '72.  Resigned 
July  21,  '72. 

J.  W.  Goodman,  ordained  and  installed  February  20,  '76.  Re- 
signed August  17,  '91. 

J.  M.  Blanding,  ordained  and  installed  October  31,  '80. 

J.  P.  Vance,  ordained  and  installed  October  31,  '80.  Became 
elder  February  1,  '82. 

H.  C.  Moseley,  ordained  and  installed  February  1,  '82.  Re- 
signed August  17,  '91. 

W.  H.  Matchett,  ordained  and  installed  August  23,  '85.  Re- 
signed August  17,  '91. 

Geo.  Brandrett,  ordained  and  installed  May  4,  '84.  Dismissed 
December  9,  '88. 

F.  R.  Smith,  ordained  and  installed  May  4,  '84.  Resigned 
1886. 

H.  E.  Moseley,  ordained  and  installed  October  24,  '86.  Re- 
signed August  17,  '91. 

J.  W.  Crawford,  ordained  and  installed  August  28,  '92. 

J.  E.  Decherd,  ordained  and  installed  August  28,  '92. 


A  church  was  organized  at  Dublin  with  eleven  members,  A- 
W.  Reisin,  ruling  elder,  by  C.  H.  Dobbs,  and  enrolled  by  the 
Presbytery  April  24,  '85.  Rev.  J.  S.  Greenlee  preached  to  the 
church  that  year  and  E.  Tenney  in  '87.  There  were  found  to  be 
a  number  of  other  members  in  the  vicinity,  but  under  the  exist- 
ing condition  of  things  they  were  not  willing  to  unite    with  the 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  69 

church.  It  was  thought  best  to  dissolve  the  church,  which  was 
done  September  3,  '87.  October  3,  '88,  Mr.  Dobbs  reported 
again  the  organization  of  a  church  at  Dublin,  with  twenty-one 
members  and  two  ruling  elders.  J.  Walker  Ross  and  Mr.  Dobbs 
supplied  the  church  from  May,  '91,  to  July,  '92,  and  W.  S. 
Baker  some  months  in  '92  and  '93.  Members  enrolled,  48;  pres- 
ent number  (April,  '93)  32. 

GATESVILLE. 

The  Gatesville  church  was  organized  March  1st,  1885,  by  evan- 
gelist C.  H.  Dobbs,  with  sixteen  members  and  two  ruling  elders. 
This  church,  since  its  organization,  and  the  Unity  church,  have 
for  the  most  part  been  served  by  the  same  minister.  For  a  short 
time  Gatesville  and  McGregor  were  joined. 

Thos.  McHutchon,  S.  S.,  '85. 

John  Woodruff,  S.  S.,  May,  '86,  to  April,  '88. 

John  Young,  pastor,  October,  '88,  to  October,  '90. 

R.  L.  Dale,  S.  S.,  November,  '90,  to  September,  '91. 

H.  M.  Smith,  S.  S.,  December,  '91,  to  August.  '92. 

C  W.  Peyton,  S.  S.,  December,  '93. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

J.  D.  Bishop,  ordained  March  1,  '85. 

Frank  Torman,  installed  March  1,  '85. 

G.  M.  Suggs,  installed  June  9,  '91. 

J.  W.  Sherrell,  installed  June  9,  '91. 

J.  D.  Mecklin,  installed  June  9,  '91.     Dis.  April  11,  '92. 


Chas.  Reynolds,  ordained  March  1,  '85.  Joined  another 
church. 

G.  W.  Pitman,  ordained  March  3,  '89.     Dis.  December  27,  '91. 

R.  L.  Suggs,  installed  June  9,  '91. 

Total  membership  enrolled,  65;  present  number,  39. 

GEORGETOWN. 

The  Georgetown  church  was  organized  at  Round  Rock,  June 
1 2th,  1854,  by  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Baker,  with  ten  members  and  two 
ruling  elders,  Dr.  Thos.  Baibee  and  Richard  Sansom.  It  was 
enrolled  as  the  Round  Rock  church  by  the  Presbytery  in  October 
of  the  same  year,  and  Dr.  3arbee  represented  the  church  at  that 
meeting.  The  name  was  changed  to  Georgetown  in  October, 
^SS,  by  the  Presbytery  at  Round  Top,  Mr.  Sansom  being  a 
member. 

In  November,    1854,   Rev.  R.  M.  Overstreet,   from   Indiana, 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE 

settled  in  Georgetown  and  took  charge  of  the  church.  He  con- 
tinued in  charge,  giving  about  half  his  time  to  the  church,  till 
the  spring  of  1866.  During  this  time  thirty-one  members  were 
admitted  to  the  church.  Dr.  Barbee  died  in  1856,  and  in  No- 
vember, 1861,  Sidney  Seymour  was  made  an  elder. 

In  April,  1866,  the  Presbytery  met  in  Georgetown,  and  Mr. 
Sansom,  representing  the  church,  offered  a  resolution  that  the 
Presbytery  take  steps  to  return  to  the  Northern  church.  The 
only  votes  in  its  favor  were  those  of  Messrs.  Sansom  and  Over- 
street.     Mr.  Overstreet  soon  left  for  the  North. 

In  July  following  (the  28th)  a  congregational  meeting  was 
held,  at  which  it  was  resolved  to  withdraw  from  the  Presbytery 
of  Central  Texas.  The  vote  (including  votes  registered  after  the 
meeting)  was  fifteen  to  five.  Mr.  Seymour  gave  notice  that  he, 
and  those  who  voted  with  him,  would  not  leave  the  Presbytery. 
He  also  wrote  to  the  Presbytery  which  met  September  20th,  and 
the  Presbytery  recognized  him,  and  those  who  stood  with  him, 
as  the  Georgetown  church.  The  members  were  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Seymour,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ramsay,  who  lived  twenty  miles  away, 
Mrs.  Shaffer,  Miss  Wilbarger  (now  Mrs.  Walker)  and  Miss  L. 
Barbee.  Mrs.  Dimmitt  must  have  been  added  soon  after  this. 
A  good  church  building  had  been  erected  with  a  school-room  ad- 
joining. The  Northern  party  held  the  church  building,  and 
under  the  ministrations  of  Rev.  John  McMurray,  much  of  the 
time  would  not  allow  our  church  the  use  of  it,  and  for  several 
years  when  they  had  preaching,  it  was  in  the  court  house.  Mr. 
Sansom,  who  offered  the  resolution  to  leave  the  Southern  church, 
returned  to  it  some  years  afterwards,  and  his  name  again  appears 
in  the  list  of  ruling  elders.  Mr.  Seymour  lived  two  and  a  half 
miles  in  the  country,  and  for  several  years  there  were  of  the  mem- 
bers, in  the  town,  only  three  ladies. 

STATED  SUPPLIES  AND  PASTORS. 

W.  A.  Smith,  '67  and  probably  '68. 

L.  Tenney,  April,  '69,  to  December,  '72. 

M.  C.  Conoly,  during  '73. 

H.  B.  Rose,  part  of '74. 

W.  F.  Gillespie,  S.  S.,  August  23.  '75;  installed  pastor,  April 
30,  '77;  pastoral  relation  dissolved,  October  1,  '81. 

H.  Moseley,  S.  S.,  January  1,  '82;  installed  pastor  June  25,  '82. 
Died  December  3,  '83. 

W.  T.  Spears,  August,  '84,  to  August,  '85;  elected  pastor,  but 
did  not  accept. 

M.  C.  Hutton,S.S.,  January  1,  '86;  installed  pastor  May  9,  '86. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  7 1 

RULING  ELDERS. 

Dr.  Thos.  Barbee,  June  12,  '54,  till  his  death,  '56. 

Richard  Sansom,  June  12,  '54,  August,  '66. 

Sidney  Seymour,  November  9,  '61.     Died  August  16,  '89. 

Dr.  R.  S.  Shannon,  December  8,  '72.     Dis.  March  11,  '76. 

Samuel  D.  Carothers,  December  8,  '72.     Died  December  31,  77. 

R.  L.  McElroy,  April  22,  '77.     Dis.  December  22,  '79. 

Richard  Sansom,  March  25,  '77.     Died  June  30,  '80. 

W.  K.  Makemson,  June  17,  '80.     Retired. 

T.  A.  Montgomery,  April  8,  '83. 

John  J.  Dimmit,  April  8,  '83.     Died  May  9,  '84. 

J.  E.  Cooper,  June  7,  '8o. 

Thos.  P.  Hughes,  June  7,  '80. 

Dr.  W.  P.  Fleming,  August  27,  '93. 


J.  R.  McCormick,  March  25,  '77.     Removed  to  Austin,  April 

15.  '83- 

J.  C.  Cameron,  June  7,  '80.     Died  October  5,  '92. 

Wm.  S-  Leake,  March  22,  '84. 

Ed.  H.  Moseley,  March  22,  '84.     Dis.  December  3,  '86. 

Jos.  A.  Metcalfe,  March  22,  '84.     Dis.  July  8,  '88. 

Cooper  Sansom,  March  22,  '84. 

Scott  Watson,  April  11,  '86.     Dis.  February  15,  '87. 

B.  S.  Sherwood,  January  16,  '87. 

Dr.  S.  E.  Weatherford,  March  to,  '89.     Dis.  May  31,  '91. 

H.  W.  Knight,  December  21,  '92. 

The  total  number  of  members  enrolled,  307;  present  number, 
107.  A  Children's  Mission  Band  and  the  Earnest  Workers  were 
organized  in  April,  1893. 

HAMILTON. 

The  Hamilton  church  was  organized  September  5th,  1880, 
with  nine  members,  by  J.  A.  McMurray,  evangelist.  No  officers 
were  elected  at  the  time,  but  December  5th  following,  W.  T. 
Cropper,  A.  J.  Foster  and  N.  C.  Howard  were  elected,  ordained 
and  installed  elders,  Mr.  McMurray  officiating. 

In  October,  1883,  Robert  Miller  and  R.  W.  Lloyd  were  in- 
stalled elders,  and  C.  S.  Doubleday  and  Andrew  Miller  ordained 
and  installed  deacons.  W.  L.  Morrison  was  installed  deacon 
October  4th,  1885.  Rev.  Thos.  McHutchon  commenced  preach- 
ing, probably  in  the  winter  of  '82  and  '83,  and  continued  till 
October,  ^84;  his  last  sermon  the  first  Sabbath  of  October,  being 
the  first  preached  in  the  church  building. 

Rev.  J.  M.  Smith  was  S.  S.  six  months  from  April  1st,  '85. 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Malcom  Black,  S.  S.,  October,  '85,  to  April,  '88. 

L.  Tenney,  S.  S.,  June,  '88,  to  June,  '90. 

C.  H.  Dobbs,  S.  S.,  April,  '91,  to  July,  '92. 

W.  S.  Baker,  S.  S.,  September,  '93. 

Elder  N.  C.  Howard  was  dismissed  December  4,  '87. 

Elder  W.  T.  Cropper  was  dismissed  April  12,  '91. 

Elder  Robert  Miller  died  September  18,  '92. 

The  total  number  of  members  enrolled,  81;  the  present  num- 
ber (March,  '94),  26.  The  newly  elected  evangelist,  H.  M.  Syd- 
nestricker,  held  a  meeting  from  the  3rd  to  the  15th  of  February, 
ult.,  at  which  ten  members  were  added. 

The  church  building  was  commenced  in  the  fall  of '83  and 
finished  in  '84.  It  was  at  Hamilton  that  Mr.  McMurray  was 
warned  that  he  could  not  organize  a  Presbyterian  church,  be- 
cause there  was  too  much  religion  in  that  church  for  that  town. 


The  church  at  Hico  was  organized  by  evangelist  J.  A.  McMur- 
ray, October  3,  1884,  with  ten  members.  It  had  no  officers  until 
November  2,  '86,  when  W.  H.  Keffer  and  W.  J.  Cox  were  elected 
and  installed  elders  (the  latter  ordained),  and  J.  M.  Temple  deacon. 
Rev.  J.  S.  Greenlee  preached  for  a  short  time.  L.  Tenney  had  a 
monthly  appointment  from  the  summer  of  '86  to  that  of  '88;  R. 
M.  Tuttle  from  theautumn  of  '89  to  that  of  '90,  and  C.  H.  Dobbs 
from  the  spring  of  '91  to  that  of  '92.  A  small  but  handsome  and 
convenient  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1890.  W.  S-  Baker, 
the  present  S.  S.,  has  been  with  the  church  since  the  autumn  of 
'92.     Total  members  enrolled,  67;  present  number,  38. 

HIGHLAND. 

In  the  spring  of  1891,  Rev.  J.  M.  Purcell,  principal  of  Stuart 
Seminary,  bought  a  lot  in  the  eastern  part  of  Austin  and  built  a 
house  on  it,  at  his  own  expense,  in  order  to  carry  on  a  mission 
work.  With  the  aid  of  six  or  seven  teachers  a  large  Sabbath 
school  was  established  and  maintained,  and  Mr.  Purcell  preached 
every  Sabbath  night  to  good  congregations.  January  31,  1892, 
the  Presbytery  met  at  the  mission  rooms,  and  at  the  request  of  a 
number  of  Presbyterians  and  with  the  consent  of  the  session  of 
the  first  church  of  Austin,  organized  a  church  with  twenty  mem- 
bers, one  elder,  E.  P.  Penick,  and  one  deacon.  M.  M.  Johnson. 
The  name  of  Highland  was  given  to  the  church.  Mr.  Purcell 
was  unanimously  invited  to  supplv  the  church.  At  the  spring 
meeting  of  Presbytery  a  call  was  presented  to  him  to  become 
pastor,  and  on  the  fourth  Sabbath  of  April  he  was  installed.  In 
April,  1893,  the  pastoral   relation   was   dissolved.     There   were 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  *         73 

nearly  thirty  additions  to  the  church  during  the  year,  mostly  on 
profession  of  faith. 

HUBBARD    CITY. 

The  Hubbard  City  church  was  organized  August  16,  1891,  by 
Rev.  S.  A.  King,  D.  D.,  and  elder  W.  H.  Godber,  a  committee  of 
Presbytery.  Rev.  R.  E.  Hardin  supplied  the  church  from  its  or- 
ganization until  the  spring  of  1893.  A  few  months  afterwards 
Rev.  J.  A.  Creighton  commenced  preaching  to  it  one-fourth  of 
the  time,  and  still  continues.  There  are  twenty-six  communi- 
cants. The  church  has  four  elders  and  one  deacon.  W.  E.  Con- 
nelly is  clerk  of  session.  A  Sabbath  school  was  commenced  soon 
after  the  organization  and  still  continues.  The  ladies  have  com- 
menced raising  a  fund  for  a  church  building. 

HUGH    WILSON. 

The  Hugh  Wilson  church  was  organized  May  22,  1852,  by 
Rev.  Hugh  Wilson,  he  having  removed  thither  with  others,  mem- 
bers of  the  church  to  which  he  ministered  in  Washington  county 
a  short  time  before.  The  members  lived  in  two  neighborhoods, 
fourteen  miles  apart,  String  Prairie  lying  between  them.  The 
church  was  named  String  Prairie,  but  the  year  after  Mr.  Wilson's 
death  the  name  was  changed  by  the  Presbytery,  at  the  request 
of  the  church.  The  church  building  is  near  Tanglewood  P.  O., 
in  Lee  county.  The  first  building  was  an  oak  frame,  hewed  by 
hand,  weather-boarded  and  roofed  with  split  boards.  The  pres- 
ent building  is  a  substantial  frame  building,  costing  $1200. 
When  the  church,  as  during  most  of  its  history,  has  had  the 
whole  time  of  a  minister,  the  part  where  the  church  building  is, 
"Our  Prairie,"  has  had  services  three  Sabbaths  per  month,  and 
the  other,  in  San  Antonio  Prairie,  one  Sabbath.  Rev.  H.  Wil- 
son supplied  the  church  from  its  organization  until  just  before  his 
death;  L,.  Tenney,  from  February,  '68,  until  the  close  of  the 
year,  twice  a  month,  riding  70  miles  to  reach  the  San  Antonio 
neigborhood. 

A.  J.  Eoughridge  was  S.  S.  from  January,  '69,  until  July,  '70, 
when  he  was  installed  pastor,  and  so  continued  until  his  death  in 
March,  '81. 

L.  Tenney,  S.  S.,  May,  '8i,to  May,  '86. 

J.  P.  Robertson,  S.  S.,  April,  '88,  to  April,  '89. 

O.  B.  Caldwell,  S.  S.,  April,  '90,  to  September,  '90. 

Eugene  L,.  Siler,  September,  '90,  to  '92. 

N.  W.  McMillan,  '93. 


74 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


RULING  ELDERS. 


Murdo  Murchison,  May  22,  '52.     Died. 

W.  L-  Cunningham,  May  22,  '52.     Died. 

Wm.  A.  Knox,  April  13,  '56.     Died. 

J.  C.  Mitchell,  April  13.  '56.     Died  September  18,  '68. 

Dr.  Jas.  Pankey,  April  5,  '56.     Died  April  29,  '66; 

Jas.  W.  Shive,  April  2,  '67.     Dismissed  Nov.  25,  '83. 

W.  J.  McClellan,  April  2,  '67.     Dismissed  June  iS,  '71.     Died. 

Robt.  H.  Flanniken,  April  2,  '67. 

D.  A.  Castleberry,  Nov.  22,  '73.     Dismissed  Sept.  5,  '75. 

A.  J.  Owen,  Oct.  20,  '78.     Dismissed  Dec.  7,  '90. 

R.  A.  Knox,  Oct.  27,  '78.     Dismissed  March  21,  '83. 

Henry  J.  Bissell,  April  19,  '85. 

Jacob  S.  Gould,  April  19,  '85.     Died. 

DEACONS. 

W.  A.  Pankey,  Nov.  22,  '70. 

R.  L,  Shive,  Nov.  22,  '70.     Dismissed  Nov.  25,  '83. 

A.J.  Owen,  Nov.  22,  '70,  until  made  elder. 

W.  W.  Cunningham,  Oct.  20,  '78.     Dismissed  Aug.  13,  '81. 

H.  J.  Bissell,  Oct.  20,  '78,  until  made  elder. 

Jas.  M.  Scott,  April  19,  '85.     Dimitted  March  30,  '90. 

Geo.  A.  Linn,   April  19,  '85. 

M.  Murchison,  W.  A.  and  R.  A.  Knox,  James  and  W.  A.  Pan- 
key,  and  W.  J.  McClellan  lived  in  San  Antonio  Prairie,  the 
others  in  "Our  Prairie."  The  church  has  always  had  a  Sunday- 
school,  under  control  of  the  session,  and  many  of  its  members 
have  united  with  the  church. 

Original  number  of  members,  22;  total  enrolled,  237;  present 
number,  38. 

In  the  fall  of  1893  the  members  living  in  San  Antonio  Prairie 
petitioned  to  be  organized  into  a  separate  church,  which  was 
accordingly  done  by  a  commission  of  Presbytery,  N.  W.  McMil- 
lan and  D.  N.  Yarbro.     The  church  is  named ,  P.  O.  Dime 

Box.  Rev.  J.  W.  Montgomery,  of  Giddings,  Brazos  Presbytery, 
preaches  there  monthly. 

The  church  was  for  years  noted  for  its  liberality,  for  which  it 
was  indebted  to  the  example  of  Father  Wilson.  The  reports 
show  that  from  1870  to  1887,  with  a  membership  of  less  than  60, 
one  year  with  another,  it  contributed,  outside  of  its  own  ex- 
penses, over  $3700,  an  average  of  $3.60  per  member  annually. 
The  unhealthiness  of  the  timbered  country  caused  most  of  the 
members  to  remove,  and  for  the  last  seven  or  eight  years  the 
church  has  been  weak  in  numbers  and  financially.  It  was  never 
rich  in  this  world's  goods. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  75 


The  Hutto  church  was  organized  December  28th,  1879,  by 
Rev.  W.  F.  Gillespie  and  Elder  Sidney  Seymour,  with  fourteen 
members,  two  ruling  elders  and  two  deacons.  Licentiate  A.  H. 
P.  McCurdy  appears  to  have  preached  for  the  church  from  its 
organization.  In  April,  '80,  he  was  ordained,  and  on  November 
10th  of  that  year  was  installed  pastor.  The  pastoral  relation  was 
dissolved  September  22d,  '82. 

G.  T.  Lyle,  S.  S.,  spring  of  '83  to  spring  of '84. 

R.  E.  Sherrill,  October,  '84,  to  December,  '86. 

W.  J.  Tidball,  several  months  in  '88. 

J.  Phipps,  about  18  months  from  March,  '90. 

J.  P.  Robertson  supplied  the  church  for  a  time,  but  at  what 
time  and  for  how  long  the  records  do  not  show. 

N.  W.  McMillan,  February,  '92,  is  now  preaching  to  the 
church  one-half  the  time. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

R.  L.  McElroy,  December  28,  '79. 

D.  J.  Davis,  December  28,  '79.     Died  April,  '90. 
Andrew  Wilson,  September  n, '87. 

J.  A.  Metcalfe,  June  11,  '90. 

J.  P.  Davis,  June  11,  '90. 

E-  W.  Frame,  January  14,  '94. 

DEACONS. 

Jas.  Metcalfe,  sr.,  December  28,  '79.     Died  January  18,  '87. 
Thos.  M.  Metcalfe,  December  28,  '79.     Dis.  May  24,  '89. 
J.  P.  Davis,  September  11,  '87.     Elder,  June,  'go. 

E.  H.  McElroy,  June  n,  '90. 
Jas.  Brown,  June  n,  '90. 
John  Harkness.  June  11,  '90. 
C.  T.  Wright,  January  14,  '94. 

Total  members  enrolled,  sixty-three.  Present  number,  thirty- 
nine.  June  13th,  '92,  the  recently  erected  house  of  worship  was 
dedicated,  "the  nicest  Presbyterian  church  in  the  country." 
"About  one  third  of  the  members  good  old  Scotch  members,  a 
flourishing  little  Sabbath-school,  and  a  good  and  faithful  man  of 
God  preaching  for  us  one-half  of  the  time." 

IREDELL. 

The  Iredell  church  was  organized  May  29th,  1881,  with  six 
members  and  one  ruling  elder,  P.  C.  Buchanan,  by  evangelist 
J.  A.  McMurray.     It  was  ministered  to,  more  or  less,  by  Mr.  Mc- 


J6  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Murray,  till  some  time  in  '84,  and  a  house  of  worship  built.  C. 
H.  Dobbs,  as  evangelist,  also  preached  some  time  to  the  church. 
In  '84,  W.  E.  Shive  was  S.  S.  Some  eight  or  nine  members 
were  added  after  the  organization.  The  only  elder,  P.  C.  Bu- 
chanan, died  February  nth,  1886.  Four  or  five  others  of  the 
small  membership  were  removed  by  death,  and  others  were  dis- 
missed, leaving  only  four  or  five  on  the  roll.  The  church  has 
since  had  little  more  than  a  nominal  existence. 

LEANDER. 

The  Leander  church  was  organized  at  Bagdad,  a  mile  west  of 
the  town  of  Leander.  Rev.  R.  M.  Overstreet  had  had  a  monthly 
appointment  at  the  place  a  year  previous.  His  was  the  first 
Old  School  Presbyterian  preaching  in  the  neighborhood.  By  ap- 
pointment of  the  Presbytery,  he  organized  the  church  February 
14th,  1857,  with  seven  members,  six  of  whom  had  belonged  to 
the  Austin  church,  but  had  come  from  North  and  South  Caro- 
lina. S.  D.  Carothers,  who  had  been  an  elder  in  Carolina,  was 
elected  and  installed  ruling  elder.  The  church  was  named 
Pleasant  Hill,  from  a  church  in  Carolina.  Part  of  the  members 
lived  at  Bagdad,  and  part  six  or  seven  miles  northeast,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  S.  Gabriel.  The  name  was  changed  to  Leander 
in  April,  '84. 

R.  M.  Overstreet  was  S.  S.,  '57  to  '59. 

W.  A.  Smith,  S.  S.,  67  and  '68. 

Mr.  Beall,  of  Northern  church,  preached  a  few  times. 

L.  Tenney,  '69,-' 72. 

M.  C.  Conoley,  '73. 

H.  B.  Rose,  '74-'8i. 

A.  H.  P.  McCurdy,  '82. 

H.  B.  Rose,  '83-'85. 

W.  G.  McDonald,  part  of  '85. 

Joshua  Barbee,  part  of  '86. 

J.  P.  Robertson,  '87  and  '88. 

M.  C  Hutton,  '88-'92. 

During  Mr.  Rose's  second  term  of  service,  the  house  of  wor- 
ship, worth  about  $1500,  was  built.  Dr.  A.  A.  Porter  did  the 
preaching  at  a  protracted  meeting  in  Bagdad  in  1872.  In  the 
earlier  times  of  the  church,  the  preaching  was  held  at  two  places 
—  at  Bagdad,  and  at  a  school  house  near  Mr.  Carothers',  or  at 
Liberty  Hill.  The  following  ministers  have  held  meetings  at 
the  church:  A.  J.  Loughridge,  C.  H.  Dobbs,  evangelist;  John 
Young,  C.  M.  Hutton,  S.  J.  McMurry,  W.J.  Tidball,  J.  C.  Grow, 
A.  R.  Shaw,  evangelist. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  TJ 

RULING    ELDERS. 

S.  D.  Carothers,  at  the  organization.  Removed  of  George- 
town, became  an  elder  in  that  church  in  '72,  and  died  December 

31.  '77- 

J.  C.  Park.     Died  May,  '81. 
P.  A.  Turk.     Died  July  21,  '79. 

E-  A.  Walker,  ordained  February  15,  '80.     Died  July,  '86. 
J.  A.  Faubion,  ordained  October  2,  '87. 
J.  T.  Schooley,  ordained  October  2,  '87. 
C.  C.  Mason,  ordained  July  5,  '91. 

R.  C.  Walker  was  elected  and  ordained  deacon  February  15, 
'80.     Dismissed  to  Free  church,  Austin. 
Total  membership,  90;  present  number,  32. 

LINGLEVILLE. 

The  L/ingleville  church,  at  L,ingleville,  some  sixteen  miles 
north  of  Dublin,  Erath  county,  was  organized  by  evangelist  A. 
R.  Shaw,  March  9th,  1893,  with  twelve  members.  The  way  had 
been  prepared  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs,  during  his  last  year  in  the 
Presbytery.  W.  S.  Baker  had  preached  there  also  several 
months  previous  to  the  organization,  and  has  continued  to  sup- 
ply the  church  since.  Eight  members  have  been  added  to  the 
original  number.  Ruling  elders:  W.  P.  McCarley  and  E.  S. 
Hamlett.     Deacon:  W.  A.  George. 

SANTA  ANNA  AND  SPRING  CREEK. 

The  churches  of  Santa  Anna,  in  Coleman  county,  on  the 
Santa  Fe  road,  with  eleven  members  and  two  ruling  elders,  and 
Spring  Creek,  near  Burnet,  with  ten  members  and  two  ruling 
elders,  organized  by  Mr.  Shaw,  were  enrolled  by  the  Presbytery 
at  the  same  time  as  Lingleville,  April,  '93. 


The  church  at  Lott  was  organized  March  27th,  1892,  by  a 
commission,  C.  W.  Peyton,  J.  W.  Siler,  and  Elder  J.  F.  Thomp- 
son, with  seven  members.  No  elder  was  elected  at  the  time,  but 
Dr.  E.  C.  Gordon  was  elected  and  installed  deacon.  In  August, 
'92,  J.  O.  Mecklin  was  elected,  and  September  27th  was  installed, 
ruling  elder.  Evangelist  A.  R.  Sbaw  and  others  have  preached 
some  for  the  church.  In  the  fall  of  '93,  Rev.  J.  M.  Cochran 
commenced  to  preach  once  a  month.  A  church  building  had 
been  erected,  and  was  destroyed  by  a  storm  May  6th,  '93.  It 
has  been  rebuilt.  Nine  members,  three  of  them  on  profession  of 
faith,  have  been  added  since  the  organization.  Present  number, 
sixteen. 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE 

MARLIN. 

The  Marlin  church  was  organized  May  2d,  1874,  by  H.  Mose" 
ley  and  L,.  Tenney,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the  Presbytery 
for  that  purpose.  There  had  been  one  or  two  members  of  the 
Carolina  church  residing  there  since  1856,  and  for  several  years 
of  the  time  there  had  been  monthly  preaching  in  Marlin.  The 
number  of  members  was  seven.  Mr.  W.  L.  Pattillo,  who,  while 
living  in  Marlin,  had  been  for  some  years  an  elder  in  the  Caro- 
lina church,  and  Dr.  S.  A.  Weiseger,  were  elected  and  in- 
stalled ruling  elders.     The  latter  was  ordained. 

C.  H.  Dobbs  was  S.  S.  one-fourth  the  time  in  '74  and  '75. 

R.  M.  Loughridge  was  S.  S.  one-fourth  the  time  in  '76-79. 

H.  Moseley  was  S.  S.  one-fourth  the  time  in  '8o-'8i. 

Malcom  Black  was  S.  S.  one-fourth  the  time  in  '84. 

J.  H.  Leps  was  S.  S.  one-half  the  time  in  '86-88. 

C.  W.  Peyton  was  S.  S.  one-half  the  time  in  '90-92. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

W.  L.  Pattillo,  May  3,  '74. 

Dr;  E.  S.  Weiseger,  May  3,  '74.     Removed  soon  after. 

A.J.  Kirkpatrick,  May  2,  '91. 

J.  C.  Peoples,  June  23,  '93. 

deacons. 

T.  C.  Spencer,  December,  '84.     Dismissed. 

Q.  J.  Cockerel,  May  21,  '91. 

K.  Sewall,  June  25,  '93. 

Total  enrollment  of  members,  104;  present  number,  58.  The 
church  has  kept  up  a  Sabbath-school  about  ten  years,  Mr.  Pat- 
tillo being  superintendent.  Within  the  last  two  years,  a  lot  has 
been  purchased,  costing  $500,  and  a  commodious  church  build- 
ing erected,  costing  about  $2250. 


The  Mart  church  was  organized  in  1889,  by  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs, 
Presbyterial  evangelist,  with  twelve  members.  Isaac  Reed  was 
chosen  ruling  elder.  He  died  in  1891.  R.  B.  Lumpkin  was 
chosen  elder.  Rev.  A.  R.  Shaw,  evangelist,  held  a  series  of  meet- 
ings in  1892,  and  five  members  were  added.  A  church  building 
was  erected  and  was  dedicated  July  16,  1893.  At  the  same  time 
T.  H.  Lumpkin  was  elected  and  ordained  ruling  elder,  and  J.  T. 
Dooly  and  James  Tull  deacons.  In  '92,  Rev.  R.  T.  Hardin  sup- 
plied the  church,  and  Rev.  R.  M.  Loughridge  for  a  time  after- 
wards. At  the  present  time,  March,  '95,  Rev.  R.  W.  Shive  is 
supplying  it.  The  church  numbers  thirty  members  and  has  a 
good  Sabbath  school. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  79 

MAYESFIELD. 

The  Mayesfield  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  L,.  Tenney,  in 
August,  '73,  with  nine  members  and  two  ruling  elders.  He  had 
preached  there  several  times  previously.  The  Mayes  family  were 
old  settlers,  and  T.  N.  Mayes,  the  elder,  had  been  a  church 
member  many  years  before,  and  one,  only,  of  his  children  was  a 
church  member.  Soon  after  the  organization  several  of  the  mem- 
bers removed,  and  the  prospect  looked  gloomy.  But  the  few 
that  remained  held  on.  L>  Tenney  continued  to  preach  to  the 
church  once  a  month  till  1876.  O.  F.  Rogers  was  S.  S.  in  '77, 
R.  M.  Tuttle,  '78  to  '82,  M.  C.  Hutton,  '83  to  '85,  J.  K.  P.  New- 
ton from  '86  to  the  present.  Mr.  Newton  has  lived  at  Mayes- 
field and  supplemented  the  support  the  church  was  able  to  give 
him  by  teaching.  Recent  accessions  to  the  membership  give  the 
hope  that  the  church  will  soon  be  able  to  sustain  him  and  em- 
ploy him  for  the  whole  of  the  time.  The  house  of  worship  was 
built  in  1883,  and  dedicated  in  the  spring  of  '84,  Dr.  S.  A.  King 
preaching  the  dedication  sermon. 

The  total  membership,  90;  present  number,  59.  This  is  pre- 
vious to  the  recent  accessions  spoken  of.  The  first  S.  S.  from  '72 
to  '76,  rode  from  his  home,  thirty  miles,  over  what  was  then,  for 
twenty-five  miles,  an  almost  unbroken  prairie,  where  now  the 
Aransas  Pass  road,  and  farms  and  pastures  and  thriving  towns 
occupy  the  whole  route.  On  one  occasion  a  heavy  rain  all  Sat- 
urday night,  and  lasting  till  late  Sabbath  morning,  prevented 
having  any  service.  On  Monday  high  waters  turned  him  sev- 
eral miles  from  his  course,  and  soon  after  the  middle  of  the  day, 
having  dismounted  for  a  little  while,  his  horse  left  him,  and  con- 
trary to  his  usual  habit  refused  to  be  caught,  and  he  was  forced 
to  turn  back  to  a  house  to  get  a  horse.  A  heavy  shower  came 
on  which  drenched  him  to  the  skin.  When  he  started  again 
night  was  not  far  distant,  and  promising  to  be  one  of  intense 
darkness,  to  travel  over  several  miles  without  a  road  on  a  strange 
horse  seemed  out  of  the  question.  Turning  aside  he  found  shel- 
ter at  the  house  of  a  friend  and  the  comfort  of  dry  clothing, 
after  two  or  three  hours  of  wet  ones.  Starting  at  daylight 
the  next  morning,  lest  the  arrival  of  his  horse  at  home  without 
him  should  excite  unnecessary  alarm,  he  rode  seven  miles  and 
overtook  the  horse  before  he  had  reached  home.  A  pair  of  sad- 
dle-bags lying  loosely  on  the  saddle  had  been  carried  about 
eighteen  hours  without  losing  their  place.  If  any  apology  for 
this  story  is  necessary,  the  request  of  friends  who  wished  to  see 
some  of  such  experiences  in  print,  must  supply  it. 


SO  HISTORY  OF  THE 


The  church  at  Mexia  was  organized  May  13,  1876,  by  a  com- 
mission consisting  of  Revs.  H.  McDonald,  Hillery,  Moseley  and 
Elder  T.  L.  C.  Means,  with  thirty  members.  The  church  has 
had  a  steady  growth;  and  now  numbers  125.  The  total  number 
enrolled  is  225. 

Rev.  H.  Moseley  was  S.  S.  from  organization  till  1880. 

W.  W.  Ruff,  S.  S.,  July,  '81,  to  April,  '82. 

W.  W.  Ruff,  pastor,  April,   '82,  to  April,  '84. 

E.  T.  Palmer,  S.  S.,  two  and  one-half  months  in  '84. 
R.  H.  Byers,  S.  S.,  March,  '85,  to  March,   '87. 

W.  L.  Lowrance,  S.  S.,  July,  '87,  to  October,  '87. 
W.  L.  Lowrance,  P.,  October,  '87,  to  March,  '89. 
J.  S.  Willbank,  S.  S-,  October,  '89,  to  May,  '90. 
J.  S.  Willbanks,  P.,  May,  '90,  to  January,  '91. 
R.  E.  Hardin. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

Roderic  Mathison,  May  14,  '76.     Died  December  25,  '83. 

F.  E.  Dey,  May  14,  '76.     Dismissed  February  11,  '77. 
Benj.  H.  Storey,  May  14,  '76.     Dismissed  May  27,  '78. 
W.  P.  Moseley,  May  14,  '76.     Died  June  16,  '85. 

J.  S.  Michard,  March  7,   '79.   Retired  in  '89. 

J.  W.  Seehorn,  January,  '8i.     Died  September,  '93. 

Millard  Storey,  January,  '81.     Dismissed  '89. 

J.  M.  Lewis,  April  29,  '83.     Died  December,  '89. 

J.  A.  Arvin,  August  23,  '85. 

J.  E-  Ross,  June  2,  '89. 

Arthur  Moseley,  June  2,  '89.     Dismissed  August  14,  '89, 

Murphy  Williams,  February  2,  '90. 

R.  E.  Moss,  February  2,  '90. 

A.  E.  McNair,  April  20,  '90. 

DEACONS. 

J.  E.  Ross,  March  9,  '79;  ordained  elder,  '89. 

D.  A.  Murphy,  March  9,  '79. 

W.  L.  Allison,  January  10,  '81;  ordained  elder,  '89. 

W.  E.  Doyle,  June  2,  '89. 

J.  E.  Parker,  June  2,  '89. 

R.  E.  Moss,  June  2,  '89;  ordained  elder,  '90. 

I.  L.  Means,  June  2,  '89.     Dismissed  February,  '90. 

Chas.  M.  Alderman,  February  2,  '90. 

S.  P.  Moseley,  February  2,  '90.    Dismissed,  '90. 

E.  A.  Michaels,  '90. 

Reuben  Anderson,  April  20,  '90. 
T.  F.  Oates,  April  20,  '90. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  8 1 

MIDWAY. 

By  appointment  of  Presbytery,  Rev.  H.  Moseley  organized  a 
church  at  the  County  Line  school  house,  on  the  line  of  Freestone 
and  Navarro  counties,  October  14,  1865.  A  majority  of  the  six- 
teen members  were  from  the  Associate  Reformed  church,  that 
church  having  then  no  Presbytery  in  Texas.  It  was  voted  to 
call  it  the  County  Line  A.  R.  church,  and  place  it  under  the  care 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Central  Texas.  The  church  was  enrolled 
by  the  Presbytery  April,  '86,  and  permission  was  given  to  em- 
ploy Rev.  T.  J.  Bonner,  Ass.  Reformed  as  S.  S.  H.  Moseley,  S. 
A.  King,  A.  J.  Loughridge  and  M.  Dickson  assisted  at  meetings 
of  the  church  at  different  times.  Mr.  Bonner  continued  S.  S.  till 
October,  1876,  and  usually  attended  the  meetings  of  Presbytery. 
The  number  of  members  enrolled  had  reached  seventy-three.  In 
October  of  that  year,  thirty-eight  members  were  dismissed  to 
form  themselves  into  two  Ass.  Ref.  churches,  leaving  thirteen 
names  on  the  roll.  Twenty-two  had  died  or  been  dismissed. 
The  church  now  resolved  to  drop  Associate  Reformed  from  the 
name,  and  the  Presbytery  approved  it.  In  October,  '84,  the 
name  was  changed  from  County  Line  to  Midway.  Mr.  Bonner 
continued  to  preach  to  the  church  (the  place  of  meeting  being 
changed  to  Birdston),  till  the  summer  of  '77,  then  J.  A.  Mc- 
Murray  till  November,  '79;  G"  P.  Richardson  from  spring  of '80, 
one  year;  W.  W.  Ruff  one  year  ending  in  the  spring  of  '82. 
About  this  time  Rev.  W.  Patterson,  an  Associate  Reformed  min- 
ister, commenced  preaching  in  the  afternoon  one  Sabbath, 
monthly,  and  has  continued  ever  since,  the  place  of  meeting  be- 
ing now  changed  to  Midway.  J.  A.  Montgomery,  student  in  the 
Seminary  at  Austin,  preached  during  the  summer  of  '88.  R.  E. 
Lentz,  one  year,  from  spring  of  '89,  and  R.  E.  Hardin,  part  of 
'92  and  '93-  The  present  number  of  members  is  sixteen.  The 
elders  at  the  organization  were  J.  M.  McGilvary  and  Andrew  Mc- 
Millan. The  latter  was  dismissed  January,  '67,  and  the  former 
died  '72  or  '73. 

Alex.  McGilvary,    September   16,  '66.  Died   before  April,  '73. 

B.  F.  Irvine,  September  20,  '69.  Dismissed  January  1,  '71. 

Matt.  Shanks,  January,  '71.   Dismissed  October  16,  '76. 

Wm.  Bonner,  January.  '71.    Dismissed  October  16,  '76. 

Robert  Davidson,  January,  '73.   Dismissed  October  16,  '76. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Joor,  September  28,  '78.  Dismissed,  '84. 

J.  E.  Knowles,  September  28,  '78. 

J.  C.  Pillans,  September  28,  '78. 

deacons. 

T.  O.  Bonner,  ordained  September  28,  '78. 

A.  T.  McGilvary,  ordained  September  28,  '78. 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE 


NORTH  BOSQUE. 


The  North  Bosque  church,  Clifton,  was  organized  with  twelve 
members,  January  12,  1861,  by  Rev.  L,.  Tenney,  he  having  been 
appointed  to  the  service  by  the  Presbytery  at  its  previous  fall 
meeting.  The  church  was  supplied,  part  of  '6i,  by  Rev.  M. 
Dickson;  in  '62  and  '63  by  Rev.  L,.  Tenney,  then  only  as  supplies 
were  appointed  by  the  Presbytery  till  '71. 

After  the  organization  of  the  Unity  church,  North  Bosque  was 
supplied,  generally,  by  those  who  preached  there:  Neill  Mc- 
Donald, till  '74;  L-  Tenney,  '76  to  '78;  A.  S.  Drake,  '78  to  '81; 
Thos.  McCutchon,  '83  to  !86;  J.  Woodruff,  '87.  At  present  Rev. 
R.  M.  Loughridge  is  preaching  to  the  church.  The  total  num- 
ber of  members  enrolled  is  27.  The  present  number  is  only  2. 
The  first  elders  were  John  McFarland  and  T.  W.  Archibald. 
The  former  was  the  same  who  represented  the  Independence 
church  in  the  Brazos  Presbytery  at  its  organization.  He  was 
also  one  of  the  first  elders  of  the  Waco  church.  The  latter  rep- 
resented the  Oak  Island  church,  of  which  he  was  the  first  elder, 
in  the  first  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Texas.  He  died  June  25, 
1892.  Mr.  McFarland  died  January  11.  1863.  R.  L.  Scott  and 
W.  T.  Archibald  were  elected  elders  in  1884.     The  latter  died. 

OAK  ISLAND. 

The  Oak  Island  church  was  organized  September  nth,  1847, 
by  Rev.  J.  Limber.  Mr.  Limber  had  come  to  Texas  from  the 
Indian  Territory,  where  he  had  been  for  some  time  engaged  in 
missionary  work.  He  resided  in  Washington,  preaching  there 
and  in  the  surrounding  country  wherever  opportunity  offered. 
He  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  diffident  of  men,  but  full 
of  zeal  for  his  work,  and  "everybody  loved  him."  Not  long 
after  organizing  the  Oak  Island  church,  he  was  married  in  Ken- 
tucky. On  his  return,  having  taken  passage  at  New  Orleans  for 
Galveston,  he  went  ashore  to  procure  some  books.  He  was 
known  to  have  visited  the  book  store,  but  after  leaving  the  store, 
was  never  heard  of. 

The  church  was  organized  with  five  members:  T.  W.  Archi- 
bald, ruling  elder;  Samuel  N.  Archibald,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Archi- 
bald, Mrs.  Mary  A.  Patton  and  Miss  Eloisa  I.  Patton.  Of  these 
members  Miss  Patton  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

Rev.  P.  H.  Fullenreider  supplied  the  church  (monthly  prob- 
ably) from  July,  '49,  to  November,  '52. 

J.  T.  Balch,  September,  '53,  to  April,  '56. 

Thos.  Alexander,  April,  '57;  installed  pastor,  October  31,  '58. 
Died,  March  24,  '64. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  83 

Hillery  Moseley,  S.  S.,  Sept.,  '64-Dec,  '81. 

W.  W.  Ruff,  S.  S.,  Jan.  '82-Nov.,  '85. 

R.  H.  Byers,  S.  S.,  Feb.,  '86-July,  '86. 

W.  L,.  Lowrance,  S.  S.,  August,  '87-Feb.,  '89. 

J.  S.  Willbanks,  S.  S.,  August,  '89-Dec,  '90. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

T.  W.  Archibald,  Sept.  n,  '47.  Dismissed  May,  '60.  Died 
June,  '92. 

E.  L,.  R-  Patton,  July  28,  '50.  Removed  April,  '61.  Since 
dead. 

James  Means,  May  29,  '52.     Died  '66. 

Charles  Ficklin,  March  6,  '61.    Since  dead. 

T.  L.  C.  Means,  "        "      Dismissed  Feb.  28,  '92. 

S.  N.  Archibald,  "         "      Died  '62. 

James  Steele,  Oct.  23,  '64.     Died  '65. 

W.  T.  M.  Dickson,  March  3,  '66.     Dismissed  Aug.,  '68. 

W.  P.  Means, 

J.  A.  Blackmore,  "         "        Dismissed  Dec, '78.     Since 

dead. 

James  N.  Kennedy,  Aug.  7,  '70.     Died  '79. 

J.  W.  Storey,  March  22,  '79.     Dismissed  July,  '91. 

R.  E.  Steele, 

W.  M.  Griffith,         "         "       Dismissed  April,  '84. 

When  the  Presbytery  met  at  this  church  in  April,  1854,  tne 
meeting  was  held  in  a  log  building  in  the  edge  of  the  tract  of 
timber  from  which  the  church  took  its  name.  In  1858,  a  com- 
modious house  was  built  in  the  prairie,  a  mile  or  so  east  of  the 
Island,  and  was  dedicated  in  connection  with  the  installation  of 
Mr.  Alexander,  October  31,  the  Presbytery  being  in  session  there 
at  the  time.  In  1866.  the  church  reported  38  members.  There 
was  a  steady  growth  till  1875,  when   the  number  was   140. 

In  1876,  the  Mexia  church  was  organized,  and  made  heavy 
drafts  on  the  Oak  Island  church,  and  removals  to  other  places 
became  frequent,  and  the  membership  gradually  diminished,  till 
only  12  are  reported.  From  1886  to  1892,  154  members  were 
added  on  profession  of  faith,  and  81  by  certificate. 

rice's  crossing. 

The  church  at  Rice's  Crossing,  S.  E.  part  of  Williamson  coun- 
ty, was  organized  by  evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs,  July  15th,  1887, 
with  seven  members.  The  only  male  member  was  J.  A.  McCut-= 
cheon,  who  was  elected  and  installed  ruling  elder.  J.  P.  Robert- 
son was  preaching  at  the  place  before  the  church  was  organized 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE 

and  continued  to  supply  the  church  till  November.  W.  J.  Tid- 
ball  was  S.  S.,  1888  and  1889;  Joshua  Phipps,  1890  and  1891; 
N.  W.  McMillan  commenced  to  preach  to  the  church  in  1892 
and  continues  to  the  present  time.  Total  members  enrolled,  17; 
present  number,  9. 

ROBINSON. 

When  the  Waco  church  was  organized  in  May,  1855,  two  of 
the  members,  Mrs.  Eliza  Robinson  and  Mrs.  Sophia  C.  Robinson, 
lived  at  the  place  now  called  by  their  name.  During  the  days 
of  small  things  in  the  Waco  church,  a  large  part  of  the  time  a 
day  school,  a  Sabbath  school,  and  monthly  preaching  services 
were  maintained,  mainly  by  the  Robinson  families.  Rev.  T. 
Alexander  preached  there  some  during  his  residence  in  the 
county.  L,.  Tenney  had  a  monthly  appointment  there  during 
several  years  of  the  time  between  1855  and  1865,  but  there  is 
probably  no  record  existing  to  give  material  for  a  particular  his- 
tory of  these  times.  In  1867,  Rev.  S.  A.  King  removed  from  Mil- 
ford  to  Robinson.  From  this  time  he  had  a  monthly  appoint- 
ment here.  The  church  was  organized  by  him  December  4, 
1874.     He  continued  to  supply  it  till  August,  1876. 

Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs,  pastor,  Aug.  9,  '76,  to  April  30,  '83. 

A.  S.  Doak,  S.  S.,  April  30,  '83,  to  March  1,  '85. 

C.  W.  Peyton,  S.  S.,  May  13,  '85-May  3,  '90. 

S.  W.  Mitchell,  S.  S.,  Aug.  28,  90-March  22,  '91. 

S.  J.  McMurry,  P.,  June  1,  '92-April  23,  '93. 

J.  M.  Cochran,  S.  S.,  July  15,  '93. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

J.  A.  McMurray,  Dec.  4,  '74.     Died  Dec.  12,  '90. 

W.  F.  Hague,  Dec.  4,  '74.     Died  Oct.,  '78. 

John  Robinson,  May  2,  '75.     Died  Oct.,  '79. 

J.  W.  McKee,  Sr.,  July  1,  '75. 

Walter  Keeble,  July  1,  '75.     Died  April  2,  '89. 

W.  A.  Minter,  Dec.  5,  '79.     Dismissed  to  Waco,  Jan.,  '8i. 

W.  A.  Daniel,  Dec.  5,  '8o. 

L.  H.  McKee,  Feb.  22,  '81.     Dismissed  June  10,  '88. 

K.  F.  Pritchett,  March  7,  '81.     Dismissed  Oct.  30,  '83. 

J.  W.  McKee,  Jr.,  April  27,  '84.  Dismissed  to  Golindo,  Aug., 
'84.     Transferred  back  Aug.,  '90. 

T.  K.  Hague,  June  3,  '90. 
"  I/.  S.  Robinson,  June  3,  '90. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  85 

DEACONS. 

T.  B.  Hoy,  Dec.  4,  '74.     Deceased. 

L.  H.  McKee,  July  1,  '77.     R.  E.  Feb.  22,  '81. 

E.  F.  Pritchett,  ,  '78.     R.  E-  March  7,  '81. 

Geo.  McMurry,  ,  '78. 

J.  W.  McKee,  Jr.,  Feb.  22,  '81,  to  April  27,  '84. 

Iy.  B.  Foster,  July  1,  '82. 

A.  A.  Robinson,  June  3,  '90. 

T.  J.  Andrews,  June  3,  '90. 

Total  members  enrolled,  242;  present  number,  72.  At  one 
time  the  membership  numbered  116.  The  changes  from  removal 
have  been  very  great. 

The  church  building  was  commenced  in  1877  and  finished  in 
1878,  at  a  cost  of  $2500.  About  $600  have  since  been  spent  in 
improvements  and  repairs. 

ROCKDALE. 

The  Rockdale  church  was  organized  probably  in  May,  1876, 
by  a  committee  of  Presbytery  consisting  of  A.  J.  Loughridge,  L,. 
Tenney  and  elders  J.  W.  Shive  and  R.  H.  Flanniken.  The  larger 
part  of  the  members  lived  several  miles  distant.  Rev.  O.  F. 
Rogers  was  living  in  Rockdale,  engaged  in  teaching,  and  sup- 
plied the  church  until  1878.  The  organization  of  Zion  church, 
in  February,  1879,  took  away  most  of  the  members. 

R.  M.  Tuttle  became  S.  S.  in  1879,  and  remained  till  1882. 
While  there,  at  the  cost  of  a  good  deal  of  effort,  and  probably 
considerable  money  of  his  own,  he  had  a  church  building  erected. 
There  were  very  few  additions  to  the  church,  however,  and  after 
he  left,  very  little  effort  was  made  to  keep  up  the  church.  The 
building  went  to  ruin,  and  the  church  has  had  little  more  than  a 
nominal  existence. 

SAN   ANGELO. 

The  San  Angelo  Presbyterian  church  was  organized  by  Rev. 
J.  H.  Zivley,  evangelist,  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  on 
Sabbath,  February  1,  1885,  with  seven  members,  viz.:  J.  N.  P. 
and  Mrs.  M.  A.  Cramer,  Mrs.  Sallie  Hancock,  now  Mrs.  B.  C. 
Jackson,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Baker,  J.  R.  and  Mrs.  P.  J.  Burt,  and  Mrs.  E. 
G.  Burt,  mother  of  R.  R.  Burt.  All  these  are  now  with  us,  ex- 
cept Mrs.  E.  G.  Burt,  who  joined  the  church  triumphant  April 
12,  1888. 

J.  R.  Burt  was  elected  and  installed  elder,  and  J.  N.  P.  Cramer 
elected,  ordained  and  installed  deacon.  Amid  many  discourage- 
ments the  church  grew.     During  the  first  year  twenty-two  mem- 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE 

bers  were  received.  At  the  end  of  this  year  there  were  twenty- 
seven  members.  Our  first  anniversary  was  celebrated  with  ap- 
propriate services  amidst  much  rejoicing  and  a  sermon  from  the 
pastor.  A  thank  offering  collection  was  taken  up,  amounting  to 
$112.  On  this  day,  February  7,  1886,  Geo.  Bound  was  elected, 
ordained,  and  installed  ruling  elder.  July  18,  J.  N.  P.  Cramer 
was  elected  and  installed  ruling  elder.  Three  lots  were  bought 
on  which  to  build  a  church.  September  11,  R.  S.  Tarver  was 
elected,  ordained  and  installed  ruling  elder,  and  Peter  Freeze 
deacon.  January  11,  1888,  died  ruling  elder  R.  S.  Tarver,  "an 
earnest  Christian,  a  good  citizen  and  a  noble  man." 

August  1,  1888,  Rev.  J.  H.  Zivley,  who  had  served  the  church 
three  years  and  six  months,  accepted  a  call  to  Tullahoma,  Ten- 
nessee. The  following  minute  was  unanimously  adopted:  "It  is 
with  sorrow  and  regret  we  are  called  upon  to  sever  the  relation- 
ship of  pastor  and  people  that  has  existed  for  the  past  four  years 
between  Rev.  J.  H.  Zivley  and  this  church.  We  bear  testimony 
to  his  fidelity,  ability,  scholarly  attainments  and  eloquence;  also 
his  profound  convictions  of  the  soundness  and  importance  of  the 
Presbyterian  doctrines  and  polity.  We  herewith  convey  to  him 
this  token  of  our  love  and  esteem,  and  our  appreciation  of  his 
labors  in  our  behalf,  both  in  season  and  out  of  season.  We 
humbly  petition  the  throne  of  Divine  Grace  to  accompany  him 
wherever  he  may  go,  to  continue  him  in  life  and  strength,  and 
so  order  his  steps  that  his  last  days  may  be  his  best  days." 

During  his  ministry  the  lots  now  occupied  by  the  church  and 
manse  were  purchased  for  $500.  In  1887  a  house  of  worship  was 
built,  at  a  cost  of  $1110,  and  dedicated  in  September,  Rev.  S.  A. 
Kinpr,  D.  D.,  preaching  the  sermon. 

Rev.  D.  A.  Planck  served  the  church  as  stated  supply,  giving 
it  one-half  of  his  time  and  receiving  a  salary  of  $50  per  month 
from  May  till  November,  1889,  when  to  our  surprise  and  sorrow 
he  announced  his  intention  of  accepting  a  call  to  the  Jackson 
Street  Church,  Mobile,  Ala.  Mr.  Planck  came  to  the  church 
during  a  period  of  greater  depression  and  discouragement  than 
any  other  in  its  history.  His  ministry,  though  short,  was  pow- 
erful for  good.  The  church  was  established  and  built  up,  and 
entered  upon  an  era  of  prosperity  that  has  continued  to  this  day. 
He  was  greatly  beloved  and  his  memory  is  still  green  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people. 

Licentiate  R.  C.  Anderson  began  serving  the  church  May  1, 
1890.  In  July  he  was  called  as  pastor  for  three-fourths  of  the 
time,  and  was  ordained  and  installed.  In  February,  1892,  a  sore 
bereavement  caused  him  to  remove   to  Virginia,  where  he  soon 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  87 

afterwards  accepted  the  pastorate  of  the  Second  church,  Roanoke. 
During  his  pastorate  sixty  members  were  received. 

July  5,  1890,  John  Abe  March  and  Chas.  L,.  Kaiser  were  elected, 
ordained  and  installed  ruling  elders.  Mr.  Kaiser  died  July  7, 
1881.  "The  church  mourns  an  affectionate  brother,  a  wise  coun- 
selor, a  faithful  friend  and  an  earnest  Christian." 

November  1,  1891,  J.  C.  Roseborough  and  T.  E.  Cramer  were 
installed  ruling  elders.  D.  P.  Rackley  and  T.  S.  Sharp  were 
elected,  ordained  and  installed  deacons. 

The  following  minute  was  adopted  on  the  death  of  the  wife  of 
our  beloved  pastor,  Rev.  R.  C.  Anderson,  who  died  February  12, 
1892:  "This  beloved  friend  came  a  beautiful  bride  amongst  us 
a  short  time  ago,  and  won  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  our  con- 
gregation and  entire  community.  Her  character  was  of  the  most 
elevated  Christian  type  and  refined  as  pure  gold,  making  her  a 
devoted  wife,  a  true  friend  and  an  ornament  to  society.  Bearing 
painful  illness  for  fourteen  long  weeks  without  a  murmur  and 
with  true  Christian  grace,  she  crossed  the  river  slowly  and 
grandly,  demonstrating  what  a  blessed  thing  it  is  to  live  and  die 
in  Christ.  She  was  a  member  of  the  church  since  her  tenth  year, 
and  seemed  created  for  the  exalted  position  she  so  sweetly  filled, 
a  pastor's  wife.  When  told  of  the  approach  of  death  she  said 
'It  is  well,'  and  her  only  unhappiness  was  to  leave  loved  ones 
behind,  but  whom  she  hoped  to  meet  in  that  land  where  there  is 
no  death."  „ 

In  the  spring  of  1890  the  study  was  built,  at  a  cost  of  $350. 
About  \he  middle  of  January,  1891,  the  manse  was  completed  at 
a  cost  of  $2200.  Mr.  Anderson  departed  amidst  tears  and  bless- 
ings of  the  whole  church.  He  was  not  only  a  preacher  and  pas- 
tor, but  friend  and  brother.  His  name  is  still  a  household  word 
in  the  homes  of  the  church. 

Rev.  G.  T.  Storey  was  called  as  pastor  in  June  and  commenced 
his  work  August  1,  1892,  giving  his  whole  time  to  this  congre- 
gation, at  a  salary  of  $100  per  month  and  use  of  the  manse. 

May  14,  1893,  C.  H.  Powell  and  Rhodes  Baker  were  elected, 
ordained  and  installed  deacons.  During  the  eight  years  of  the 
existence  of  the  church  we  have  received  136  members;  the  pres- 
ent roll  numbers  80;  we  have  no  church  debt.  At  this  date, 
September  17,  1894,  the  officers  of  the  church  are:  Rev.  G.  T. 
Storey,  pastor;  elders,  J.  R.  Burt,  J.  N.  P.  Cramer,  John  Abe 
March  and  T.  E.  Cramer;  deacons,  D.  F.  Rackley,  [T.  S.  Sharp, 
C.  H.  Powell  and  Rhodes  Baker. 

TEMPLE. 

In  1870  Mr.  A.  A.  Black  and  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Sloane,  with 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE 

their  families,  settled  in  the  prairie  near  where  Temple  now  is. 
They  had  come  from  Mississippi  and  lived  two  years  on  the  Colo- 
rado, some  ten  miles  below  Austin,  where  their  crops  were 
drowned  out  by  overflows  both  years.  They  brought  certificates 
from  the  Austin  church  and  united  with  the  Belton  church,  of 
which  Mr.  Black  was  soon  made  an  elder.  Other  Presbyterians 
settled  in  the  neighborhood,  and  after  Mr.  Taylor  commenced 
his  labors  at  Belton  they  had  more  or  less  preaching  out  there, 
mostly  at  night.  In  '81,  the  Santa  Fe  railroad  was  built  past 
there,  and  the  town  of  Temple  started.  In  September  of  that 
year,  the  Presbytery,  by  request,  appointed  a  commission  consist- 
ing of  Revs.  R.  M.  Tuttle  and  C.  W.  Peyton  and  Elder  A.  A. 
Black,  to  organize  a  church  in  Temple.  The  commission  met  in 
October,  '81,  in  a  vacant  store  house.  Mr.  Tuttle  preached,  and 
after  the  sermon  twenty-four  persons  presented  letters  of  dismis- 
sion from  the  Belton  church  and  were  organized  into  the  Temple 
church.  A.  A.  Black  and  E.  T.  Crawford  were  elected  ruling 
elders,  and  J.  L.  Gray  and  H.  C  Black,  deacons.  A.  A.  Black 
and  Mr.  Gray  were  installed,  the  others  asking  time  to  consider. 
The  next  night  there  was  preaching  again,  and  they  were  in- 
stalled. 

Before  the  commission  adjourned,  money  enough  was  sub- 
scribed and  "in  sight,"  to  build  a  house  of  worship  24x36  feet, 
on  a  lot  donated  by  the  railroad  company,  they  having  offered  a 
lot  free  to  any  church  that  would  build  on  it.  This  was  the  first 
church  building  in  Temple.  By  the  end  of  November  it  was  far 
enough  advanced  to  be  used  for  public  worship.  In  December 
a  Sabbath-school  was  organized  with  about  forty  scholars,  A. 
A.  Black,  superintendent.  Rev.  C.  W.  Peyton  supplied  the 
church  monthly  till  '84.  About  this  time  a  prayer-meeting  was 
organized,  "which  we  have  never  suffered  to  languish." 

M.  W.  Millan,  S.  S.,  all  the  time  from  November,  '84  to  No- 
vember, '85. 

C.  H.  Dobbs,  evangelist,  occasional,  till  spring  of  '87. 

John  Young,  S.  S.,  till  September,   '87,  P.  till  September,  '88. 

C.  H.  Dobbs,  occasional. 

C.  M.  Hutton,  S.  S.,  February,  '89,  to  November,  '90. 

R.  L.  Dale,  S.  S.,  September,  '91;  P.,  April,  '90. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

A.  A.  Black,  October,  '81. 
E.  T.  Crawford,  October.     Dimitted  '85. 
I.  N.  White,  '84. 

T.  E.  Cramer,  '84.  Dismissed  September,  '88,  to  a  church  in 
California. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  89 


H.  C  McCelvey,  '84. 
Dr.  W.  M.  Woodson,  '87. 
E.  Keach,  December,  '88. 


J.  L.  Gray,  October,  '81.     Dismissed  to  Belton,  '89  or  '90. 

H.  C.  Black,  October,  '8i. 

A.  P.  Harris,  '89  or  '90. 

Sabbath-school  superintendents:  A.  A.  Black,  five  and  one-half 
years;  T.  E-  Cramer,  two  years;  I.  N.  White,  two  years;  E. 
Keach,  two  years. 

Up  to  this  time,  last  of  1890,  the  number  of  members  enrolled 
was  160;  membership  at  that  time,  83. 

The  church  continued  vacant  till  September,  '91,  when  Rev. 
R.  L/.  Dale  took  charge  as  S.  S.,  and  in  March,  '92,  was  called  to 
the  pastorate,  and  was  installed  soon  after  the  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery.  In  1893  the  new  house  of  worship  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $5,200.  It  was  dedicated  in  August,  Rev.  C.  R.  Dudley 
preaching  the  dedication  sermon,  and  continuing  a  meeting  thir- 
teen days,  as  the  fruits  of  which,  and  a  meeting  in  December, 
conducted  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Claggett,  more  than  forty  mem- 
bers were  added,  and  the  number  reported  to  the  Presby- 
tery April,  '94,  was  116.  Total  enrolled  from  beginning  about 
225. 

THE    GROVE. 

October  3,  1888,  evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs  reported  to  the  Pres- 
bytery the  organization  of  a  church  near  the  Leon  river  in  the 
lower  part  of  Coryell  county,  with  eighteen  members  and  two 
ruling  elders.  John  Young  was  S.  S.  in  '89,  since  which  time  it 
has  had  only  occasional  supplies.  Several  members  were  added 
by  examination,  and  in  '92,  twenty-six  members  were  reported. 
In  '91,  one  of  the  elders,  N.  W.  McMillan,  was  ordained  to  the 
ministry. 

UNITY. 

Unity  church,  in  the  northern  part  of  Coryell  county,  was  or- 
ganized in  the  Bosque  school  house  by  Rev.  L-  Tenney,  Septem- 
ber 10,  1871.  There  were  nine  members,  of  whom  two,  Wm.B. 
Young  and  John  Armstrong  were  elected,  ordained  and  installed 
ruling  elders.  On  October  22d,  John  H.  Hurst  was  also  elected 
and  ordained  ruling  elder.  The  congregation  continued  to  wor- 
ship at  the  school  house  two  miles  from  Turnersville  till  about 
'77,  when  the  services  were  held  for  a  time  in  the  school  house 
then  recently  erected    at  Turnersville.     The    present  house   of 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE 

worship  wns  erected  in  '82.     When  the  church  has  had  regular 
services  it  has  been  for  the  most  part  for  one-half  the  time. 

Neill  McDonald,  S.  S.,  December,  '71,  to  February,  '75. 

W.  A,  Smith,  S.  S.,  July  1,  '75,  to  March,  '76. 

L.  Tenney,  S.  S.,  April  1,  '76,  to  April  1,  '78. 

A.  S.  Doak,  S.  S  ,  April,  '78,  to  December,  '81. 

Thos.  McHutchon,  S.  S.,  October,  '82,  to  February,  '86. 

John  Woodruff,  S.  S.,  May,  '86,  to  May,  '88. 

John  Young,  pastor  October,  '88,  to  April,  '90. 

R.  L.  Dale,  S.  S.,  November,  '90,  to  April,  '91. 

H.  M.  Smith,  S.  S.,  April,  '92,  to  July,  '92. 

C.  W.  Peyton,  S.  S-,  December,  '93. 

RULING   ELDERS. 

John  Armstrong,  ordained  September  10,  '71.  Removed.  Since 
died. 

Wm.  E.  Young,  ordained  September  10,  '71. 

John  H.  Hurst,  ordained  October  22,  1871.  Died  December  3, 
1885. 

Wm.  S.  Gouldy,  installed  June  15,  '73.  Died  Dec.  13,  '77. 

J.  W.  Gideon,  installed  March  24,  '78.  Dismissed  Aug.  14,  '84. 

W.  J.  Miller,  ordained   March  24,  '78.    Dismissed  Jan.  n,  '80. 

G.  M.  Suggs,  installed  March  21,  '80.  Dismissed  May  31,  '91. 

J.  W.  Sherrill,  installed  May  9,  '86.     Dismissed   May  31,  '91. 

W.  W.  Cunninghum,  ordained  May  9,  '86.  Dismissed  March, 
1893. 

J.  H.  Grigsby,  ordained  November  19,  '93. 

DEACONS. 

John  S.  Hall,  June  19,  '81.     Dismissed  October  18,  '91. 

Fred  Foot,  ordained  March  16,  '84. 

J.  M.  Burkett,  ordained  May  8,  '86.     Dismissed  Oct.  16,  '92. 

R.  1/.  Suggs,  ordained  May  8,  '86.     Dismissed   March  22,  '91. 

S.  M.  Carr,  ordained  November  19,  '93. 

W.  D.  Freeland,  ordained  November  19,  '93. 

Total  enrollmment  of  members,  176;  present  number,  44.  A 
Sabbath-school  has  been  maintained  most  of  the  time  since  the 
organization  of  the  church.  "Started  about  the  time  the  Indians 
left  the  country."  For  several  years  it  was  large.  The  changes 
and  removal  of  members  have  left  the  present  membership  so 
scattered  that  it  is  difficult  to  maintain  the  school. 

FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  OF  WACO. 

At  the  spring  meeting  of  the  Presbytery,  1855,  at  the  request 
of  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in   Waco  village  and  vi- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  9 1 

cinity,  Revs.  Samuel  Taylor,  T.  Alexander,  and  J.  M.  McChord, 
who  had  come  from  Indiana  to  Texas  the  autumn  previous  and 
settled  near  Waco,  were  appointed  to  organize  a  church.  The 
church  was  enrolled  by  the  Presbytery  at  the  fall  meeting,  but 
the  record  does  not  mention  the  date  of  the  organization,  which 
must  have  been  in  April  or  May.  Mr.  Taylor  died  on  the  9th  of 
June,  after  an  illness  of  twelve  days,  and  in  his  obituary  it  is 
stated,  "Here  he  collected  a  little  band  and  organized  a  church," 
thus  showing  that  he  had  done  most  of  the  preliminary  work. 
Mr.  McChord  returned  to  Indiana  during  the  summer.  Mr. 
Alexander  had  purchased  land,  and  lived  in  a  house  of  his  own 
building,  twelve  miles  from  Waco,  very  near  where  the  Cotton 
Belt  road  crosses  the  South  Bosque.  He  removed,  in  the  autumn 
of  1857,  probably,  to  Oak  Island,  being  installed  pastor  of  that 
church  on  the  31st  of  October. 

The  number  of  members  was  seventeen.  Two  ruling  elders, 
John  McFarlane  and  Charles  Ficklin,  were  installed.  The  for- 
mer was  the  elder  who,  in  1840,  participated  in  organizing  the 
Brazos  Presbytery;  the  latter  had  been  of  the  party  who  came 
from  Indiana,  Mr.  McChord  being  his  son-in-law,  and  during 
the  summer  he  also  returned  to  the  North.  The  members  lived 
two  at  Robinson,  some  in  Waco,  and  the  remainder  eight  or  ten 
miles  west  of  Waco,  on  or  near  the  South  Bosque.  Mr.  Alex- 
ander preached  till  his  removal,  but  of  the  amount  of  his  preach- 
ing there  is  probably  no  record.  In  the  latter  part  of '58,  and 
during  '59,  L,.  Tenney  supplied  the  church,  having  appointments 
at  Waco,  on  the  Bosque,  and  at  Robinson,  sometimes  riding 
twenty-five  miles  Saturday  morning  to  preach  at  11  o'clock  on 
the  Bosque,  and  eight  more  to  preach  at  Waco  at  night.  In  one 
of  these  early  morning  rides,  he  was  probably  the  only  witness 
of  a  meteor  of  extraordinary  size  which  flashed  before  him  for  a 
few  moments,  looking  as  large  as  the  sun.  In  the  fall  of '59, 
most  of  the  members  on  the  Bosque,  including  the  elder,  Mr. 
McFarlane,  removed  to  Clifton,  Bosque  county,  where  they  were 
organized  into  the  North  Bosque  church,  leaving  in  that  neigh- 
borhood only  Mrs.  McLennan,  the  matron  of  the  family  from 
which  the  county  was  named,  and  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Jones. 
Mr.  Abernathy  removed  to  the  prairie  south  of  Waco.  From 
this  time,  there  was  no  regular  service  till  Rev.  S.  A.  King  com- 
menced a  monthly  service  in  1863.  This  was  continued  through 
'65.  There  were  a  number  of  refugees  in  Waco  during  the  war, 
who  aided  in  sustaining  the  church;  but  at  the  close  of  the  war 
so  many  of  them  left,  there  was  little  more  than  the  former  mem- 
bership. Services  were  discontinued  until  January,  '67,  when 
Mr.  King,  yet  living  at  Milford,  commenced  preaching  at  Waco 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE 

two  Sabbaths  per  month.  During  part  of  the  year,  Mr.  King 
was  engaged  in  evangelistic  work,  by  appointment  of  the  Synod, 
giving  a  part  of  the  time,  however,  to  Waco  and  Milford.  In 
the  latter  part  of  the  year,  he  removed  to  Robinson,  and  has 
since  given  his  time  mainly  to  the  Waco  church. 

From  this  time,  the  church  grew.  For  two  or  three  years 
longer  it  had  no  house  of  worship,  but  the  meetings  were  held 
in  school  rooms,  for  which  they  were  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of 
Baptists  and  Methodists.  On  the  first  Sabbath  in  1871,  the 
church  first  worshipped  in  the  basement  of  its  own  house,  on 
Second  street,  and  in  the  spring  of  '72  the  auditorium  was  fin- 
ished and  occupied.  In  '71  the  membership  numbered  only  fifty- 
three,  but  were  active  and  vigorous.  In  '74  twenty-one  mem- 
bers were  dismissed  to  form  the  Robinson  church.  Two  of  these 
were  ruling  elders.  In  the  spring  of  '82,  Dr.  King,  having  served 
the  church  nineteen  years  as  stated  supply,  was  installed  pastor. 
The  fact  of  having  this  relation  established  after  such  a  time,  is 
evidence  of  the  hold  he  had  upon  the  hearts  of  the  people.  Soon 
after  this  the  church  building,  not  being  large  enough  for  the 
growing  congregation,  and  inconveniently  situated,  was  sold, 
and  the  present  house,  on  Austin  street,  commenced,  and  in  the 
spring  of  '84  began  to  be  used. 

RULING    ELDERS. 

John  McFarlane,  May,  '55.     Dismissed  to  N.  Bosque  '59. 
Charles  Ficklin,  May,  '55.     Removed  summer  of  '55. 
Francis  Stone,  October,  '58.     Unknown. 

Robert  J.  Abernathy,  October  18,  '63.     Dismissed  to  Robinson 
November  29,  '74. 
J.  F.  Wheeler,  February  21,  '64.     Dismissed. 
H.  G.  Bostwick,  June  16,  '67.     Retired  May  21,  '82;  died,  '90. 

E.  H.  Carter,  June  16,  '67. 

F.  H.  Sleeper,  December  20,  '68.     Died  June  19,  '81. 

W.  F.  Hague,  December  20,  '68.  Dismissed  to  Robinson  No- 
vember 29,  '74. 

A.  A.  Cassady,  December  13,  '73.     Died  October  21,  '80. 

Thos.  C.  Smith,  February  11,  '77. 

W.  C.  Dodson,  February  n,  '77. 

W.  A,  Minter,  May  21,  '82.     Dismissed  August  21,  '83. 

Dr.  J.  C.  J.  King,  May  21,  '82. 

Sam'l  A.  Killough,  May  21,  '82.     Died  November  17,  '91. 

F.  O.  Rogers,  November  30,  '84. 

W.  H.  Godber,  November  30,  '84. 


PRESBYTERV  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  93 

DEACONS. 

Dr.  W.  H.  Brown,  January  15,  '71. 

S.  A.  Killough,  January  15,  '71.     Ruling  elder  May  21,  '82. 

J.  K.  Harrison,  January  15,  '71.     Died  October,  '93. 

Dr.  J.  C.J.  King,  October  5,  '73.     Ruling  elder  May  21,  '82. 

W.  H.  Godber,  '76.     Ruling  elder  November  30,  '84. 

J.  B.  Gilmer,  April  11,  '8o.     Resigned  October  1,  '88. 

F.  O.  Rogers,  August-27,  '92.     Ruling  elder  November  30,  '84. 

R.  F.  Gribble,  August  27,  82. 

Edward  Rotan,  December  7,  '84. 

J.  D.  Morrow,  December  7,  '84.     Resigned  November  22,  '91. 

The  church  was  at  first  named  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
McLennan  County,  but  it  was  always  known  as  the  Waco 
church,  and  in  1865  this  name  was  given  it  by  the  Presbytery. 
In  April,  '92,  the  name  was  again  changed  to  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Waco. 

Rev.  Wm.  Hughes  was  employed  several  months,  in  '92,  as 
city  evangelist,  with  view  to  the  organization  of  a  second  church. 
The  Presbytery  held  an  adjourned  meeting  in  Waco  June  28th, 
and  organized  the 

SECOND  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  OF  WACO, 

with  forty-one  members  dismissed  from  the  first  church,  and  Rev. 
A.  R.  Shaw  was  installed  pastor  of  it. 

The  total  number  of  members  enrolled  to  April,  '93,  is  about 
625.     The  number  on  the  roll  at  that  time  was  313. 

The  long  service  rendered  by  the  pastor  of  the  church  justifies 
a  few  words  more  personal  while  he  yet  lives. 

Dr.  King  was  educated  principally  by  his  father.  He  entered 
the  ministry  at  an  early  age,  in  connectiou  with  the  United 
Synod,  and  preached  for  some  years  in  Leon  county  and  in 
Crockett.  He  came  to  Milford,  in  Ellis  county,  in  1862,  and  the 
next  spring  commenced  his  labors  in  Waco.  His  attractiveness 
and  power  in  the  pulpit  have  led  to  his  being  often  called  to 
preach  on  particular  occasions,  away  trom  home.  At  home,  he 
has  long  been  held  in  high  honor,  not  only  by  his  own  people, 
but  by  the  whole  city.  Most  of  the  time  that  the  Synod  of 
Texas  was  connected  with  the  Southwestern  Presbyterian  Uni- 
versity, he  was  one  of  the  directors.  From  the  University,  he 
received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  He  has  often  represented  the  Pres- 
bytery in  the  General  Assembly,  and  in  '92  was  moderator  of 
that  body.  May  he  be  long  spared  to  serve  the  church  and  the 
Master. 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE 

LANCASTER. 

Lancaster  church  was  organized  July  26,  1856,  by  Rev.  Michael 
Dickson,  with  nine  members,  three  of  them  having  been  elected 
ruling  elders. 

The  following  ministers  served  the  church  prior  to  the  division 
of  the  Presbytery: 

MINISTERS. 

Robert  F.  Taylor,    S.  S.,  '56-'57. 
M.  Dickson,  S.  S.,  '57-'6i. 
S.  M.  Martin,  S.  S.,   '62-'64. 
J.  M.  McChord,  S.  S.,   '6s-'67. 
Niel  McDonald,  S.  S.,   '67-' 71. 
J.  A.  Walker,  S.  S.,  '72-'73- 
W.  S.  Johnson,  S.  S.,   '75-'78- 

RULING  ELDERS. 

Jno.  Harris,  '56-'6i.     Died. 

W.  R.  Moffett,  '56-'7i.     Resigned. 

H.  J.  Moffett,   '56-'8q.     Died. 

Robert  Willis,    '59^70.     Resigned. 

A.  M.  Scales,   '69- '70.     Resigned. 

G.  S.  Davidson,   '69-'73.     Resigned. 

In  1866  the  church  reported  29  members.  Of  these  10  or  12 
were  the  fruit  of  a  protracted  meeting  held  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Mc- 
Chord not  long  before.  There  were  few  additions  afterward.  Pre- 
vious to  '78  and  after  '71  removals  and  deaths  reduced  the  num- 
ber till  there  were  only  12.  Mr.  Taylor  belonged  to  the  Eastern 
Texas  Presbytery,  and  has  been  mentioned  in  the  early  pages  of 
this  history  as  the  son  of  Rev.  Samuel  Taylor.  Mr.  Martin  be- 
longed to  the  Ningpo  Presbytery,  China,  being  a  missionary 
there,  at  home  on  a  vacation;  whether  he  fulfilled  his  purpose  of 
returning  to  China,  the  writer  does  not  know. 

WAXAHACHIE. 

Waxahachie  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Smylie, 
November  19,  1871,  with  16  members.  Mr.  Smylie  probably 
preached  there  sometime  before  the  organization,  and  for  some 
months  afterwards. 

MINISTERS. 

J.  A.  Walker,  S.  S.,  April,  '72,  to  Oct.,  '73. 
W.  S.  Johnson,  P.,  May,  '74,  to  July,  '78. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.      .  95 

RULING    ELDERS. 

W.  B.  Mattox,  November  19,  '71,  to  October,  '76. 

J.  C.  Rogers,  November  19,  '71,  to  March,  '74. 

H.  A.  McWhorter,  November  19,  '71,  to  November,  '74. 

A.  C.  King,  March  28,  '75,  to  June,  '75. 

Thos.  Baxter,  September  5,  '75. 

John  Sharpe,  August  6,  '76. 

H.  A.  McWhorter,  February  17,  '78. 

DEACONS. 

Thos.  Baxter,  May  2,  '75,  to  September  5,  '75. 

A.  D.  McDuffie  and  J.  B.  Anderson,  September  14,  '72. 

H.  W.  Graber,  February  17,  '78. 

Total  enrolled  to  1878,  81.     Number  at  that  time,  49. 

FORT   WORTH. 

A  committee  was  appointed  by  the  Presbytery  in  October, 
1872,  to  organize  churches  at  Fort  Worth  and  other  places,  if  the 
way  should  be  found  clear.  In  April,  1873,  the  committee  Was 
continued,  and  May  25,  two  members  of  the  committee,  J. 
A.  Walker  aud  J.  A.  Smylie,  met  at  Fort  Worth  and  organized 
the  church,  with  ten  members.  One  was  elected  ruling  elder,  but 
declining  to  serve,  the  organization  was  not  completed  till  April, 
1874,  when  Rev.  W.  M.  Kilpatrick  was  authorized  to  complete 
it.  He  having  received  fifteen  additional  members,  a  congrega- 
tional meeting  was  held  and  O.  C.  Billings  was  elected  ruling 
elder  and  B.  B.  Paddock,  deacon.  They  were  installed  May  2, 
1874.  Mr.  Kilpatrick  was  S.  S.  till  1876,  during  which  year  C. 
H.  Dobbs,  evangelist,  preached  to  the  church  a  considerable  part 
of  the  time. 

MINISTERS. 

W.  W.  Brimm,  pastor,  March,  '77,  to  spring  of  '87. 
Wm.  George,  D.  D.,  pastor,  May,  '81,  to  autumn  of  '84. 
R.  H.  Nail,  D.  D.,  pastor,  Nov.  1,  '85,  to  June,  '93. 
M.  W.  Dogget,  pastor,  February  4,  '94. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

O.  C  Billings,  May  2,  '74.     Died  May  4,  '75. 

J.  P.  Morrison,  February  21,  '75.     Died,  '87. 

I/.  S.  Hays,  February  25,  '77.     Dismissed  October  15,  '77. 

S.  P.  Greene,  February  25,  '77. 

R.  R.  Fakes,  February  25,  '77.     Dismissed  February  16,   '79. 

W.  H.  Field,  July  8,  '77. 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE 

Wm.  McMurry,  June  23,  '78.     Dismissed  June  28,  '85. 

Thos.  H.  Roe,  June  23,  '78. 

T.  L-  Lane,  June  23,  '78. 

The  total  number  of  members  enrolled  up  to  April,  1878,  was 
157;  the  number  of  members  at  that  time,  114. 

The  house  of  worship  was  erected  and  began  to  be  used  in  the 
summer  of  1877;  previous  to  that  the  meetings  had  been  held  in 
the  court  house  and  various  public  halls. 

YELLOW  PRAIRIE. 

A  church  was  organized  at  Caldwell  by  Revs.  A.  J.  Lough- 
ridge  and  M.  C  Conoley  and  elders  R.  H.  Flanniken  and  J.  W. 
Shive,  Nov.  17,  '73,  with  eleven  members  and  one  ruling  elder, 
S.  W.  Penn.  It  was  named  Caldwell  church.  November  28th, 
'74,  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery,  J.  M.  McChord,  A.  J.  Lough- 
ridge  and  R.  H.  Flanniken,  visited  Yellow  Prairie,  seven  miles 
north  of  Caldwell,  received  into  the  Caldwell  church  a  number 
of  members,  and  installed  M.  Black  and  J.  H.  Wallace  ruling 
elders.  From  this  time  the  majority  of  the  members  appear  to 
have  been  at  Yellow  Prairie;  and  in  September,  '81,  the  name 
was  changed  to  Yellow  Prairie.  The  church  was  served  for  a 
time,  S.  S.,  by  A.  J.  Loughridge  and  O.  F.  Rogers,  occasionally 
by  R.  M.  Tuttle.  From  '81  to  '86,  Rev.  Wm.  Boyd  was  S.  S. 
In  the  summer  of  '82,  a  protracted  meeting  was  held,  and  about 
twenty  members  were  added.  J.  B.  Robertson  was  S.  S.  in  '88 
and  '89;  E.  L.  Siler,  '90  to  '93.  Total  members  from  the  begin- 
ning, 77;  present  number,  21. 


Zion  church  was  organized  February  9th,  '79,  by  W.  S.  John- 
son, Presbyterial  evangelist,  with  31  members  from  the  Rock- 
dale church,  and  two  ruling  elders,  W.  D.  Paden  and  W.  H. 
Frierson,  and  two  deacons,  T.  E-  Lankford  and  S.  L.  Blakeley. 
The  organization  took  place  at  Union  chapel  on  the  San  Gabriel 
river,  nine  miles  west  of  Rockdale.  In  '80  it  was  moved  four 
miles  north,  to  a  school-house,  near  where  the  church  building 
now  stands.  R.  M.  Tuttle  commenced  to  preach  to  the  church 
in  March,  '79.  The  house  of  worship  was  built  largely  through 
the  agency  of  Mr.  Tuttle,  and  dedicated  in  April,  '81.  In  the 
same  month  the  Presbytery  met  in  the  house.  M.  C.  Hutton 
commenced  preaching  in  January,  '83,  and  June  10th  he  was  in- 
stalled pastor  for  half  the  time.  At  this  time  the  church  had 
over  fifty  members  (an  active  membership,  too),  and  the  pros- 
pect seemed  good  for  continued  growth,  but  within  twelve  months 
nearly  half  the  members  removed,  and  in  April,  '84,  the  pastoral 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  97 

relation  was  dissolved.     Mr.  Hutton  continued  to  preach  to  the 
church  once  a  month,  till  January,  '86. 

M.  W.  Millard,  S.  S.,  one-half  time,  Feb.-Sept.,  '86. 

J.  K.  P.  Newton,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  time,  Aug.,  '87-Feb.,  '88. 

L.  H.  Kimmons,  S.  S.,  one-half  time,  Feb.,  '88-Jan.,  '89. 

C.  M.  Hutton,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  time,  April,  '89-April,  '90. 

E.  L-  Siler,  S.  S.,  one-fourth  time,  July,  '90-Oct.,  '92. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

W.  D.  Paden,  W.  H.  Frierson,  at  organization;  Andrew  Gor- 
don, S.  L.  Blakeley,  B.  L-  Frierson,.  S  M.  Frierson,  I.  N.  White, 
F.  McCalla,  C.  A.  Lankford,  S.  M.  Dunlap,  J.  W.  Hopkins,  W. 
E.  Massie,  A.  A.  Frierson,  I.  F.  White,  R.  A.  White. 

The  total  enrollment  of  members,  115;  present  number,  16. 

MILFORD. 

The  Milford  church  was  organized  June  23d,  1855,  by  Rev. 
Michael  Dickson,  with  17  members,  of  whom  only  three  are  now 
living.  Like  several  other  churches  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Presbytery,  it  was  organized  without  a  committee  appointed  by 
the  Presbytery.  Mr.  Dickson  did  not  attend  the  meeting  of  the 
Presbytery  in  the  fall  of  '55,  and  the  church  was  consequently 
not  enrolled  till  April,  '56.  The  church  worshiped  in  a  rock 
building  erected  by  the  community  for  school  purposes,  till  '60, 
when  the  present  house  was  built.  It  is  of  wood  and  cost  $3000. 
In  the  latter  part  of  '67,  the  roof  was  blown  off  and  was  replaced 
the  next  year. 

Mr.  Dickson  served  the  church  as  S.  S.  from  '55  to  '62,  when 
he  was  released  on  account  of  age  and  infirmit)'. 

S.  A.  King,  S.  S.,  '62-' 68. 

J.  A.  Smylie,  '69,  till  a  short  time  before  his  death  in  '78. 
Since  the  division,  S.  M.  Luckett,  R.  E.  Sherrill,  O.  B.  Caldwell, 
C  S.  M.  See  and  E.  M.  Munroe  have  served  the  dhurch. 

RULING  ELDERS. 

H.  G.  Bostwick,  June  23,  '65.     Dismissed  Feb.  9,  '67.    Died  '92. 

N.  S.  Couchmau,  June  23.  '65.     Died  June  15,  '87. 

W.  R.  Hudson,  June  23,  '65.     Dismissed  Oct.,  '68,  to  Larissa. 

W.  F.  Hague,  June  t6.  '61.      Dismissed  March,  '68,  to  Waco. 

E.  H.  Carter,  June  16,  '61.     Dismissed  Feb.  9,  '67,  to  Waco. 

I.  N.  Buie,  May  6,  '66.     Dismissed  June  1,  '84,  to  Hillsboro. 

Jos.  C.  Wilson,  May  6,  '66.     Died  Dec.  27,  '79. 

R.  H.  Orr,  May  6,  '68.     Died  July  1,  '76. 

Champe  Carter,  Sr.,  Jan.  12,  '70.     Died  Aug.  17,  '73. 

G.  C  Orr,  Oct.  7,  '77.     Dismissed  Dec.  10,  '93,  to  Brandon. 

W.  H.  Hudson,  Oct.  7,  '77. 


HISTORY  OF  THE 


Champe  Carter,  Sr.,  Jan.  13,  '67.     Elected  elder  '70. 

H.  L,.  Caldwell,  Jan.  13,  '67.     Elected  elder  '80. 

John  K.  Wimple,  Jan.  13,  '67.     Dismissed  '70. 

J.  D.  Couchman,  June  15,  '68.     Dismissed  Sept.,  '85. 

J.  C  J.  King,  June  15,  '68.     Dismissed  Feb.,  '72. 

J.  R.  Hudson,  March  12,  '71. 

D.  B.  Caldwell,  March  12,  '71.     Elected  elder  '80. 

P.  H.  Carter,  Aug.  29,  '75.     Dismissed  '81. 

F.  P.  Wilson,  March  11,  '77.     Dismissed  '83. 

R.  E.  Wilson,  March  11,  '77.     Resigned  '84. 

In  '66  the  church  reported  60  members.  From  this  time  till 
'78  there  were  90  additions  on  profession  and  98  on  certificate, 
and  the  membership  numbered  136.  The  church  has  continued 
to  prosper.  The  fluctuations  of  our  population  are  well  illus- 
trated by  the  fact  that  with  143  additions  on  profession  and  71 
on  certificate,  since  '78,  the  number  of  members  is  now  only  144, 
and  at  one  time  decreased  to  85.  The  Sabbath  school  was  or- 
ganized in  '56  and  has  been  carried  on  without  intermission.  It 
was  at  first  a  union  school,  but  has  been  carried  on  almost  exclu- 
sively from  the  first  by  Presbyterians,  and  was  gradually  merged 
into  a  strictly  Presbyterian  school. 

WEATHERFORD. 

Weatherford  church  was  organized  by  a  committee,  S.  A. 
King,  chairman,  with  ten  members,  and  was  enrolled  October, 
'74.  It  was  supplied  for  a  time  by  W.  S.  Johnson,  and  proba- 
bly by  A.  S.  Doak.  L.  B.  Cbaney  was  received  as  a  candidate 
on  a  transfer  from  Lexington  Presbytery,  and  licensed  June  29, 
'77.  He  soon  after  commenced  preaching  at  Weatherford,  and 
in  April,  '78,  was  ordained  and  installed  pastor  of  the  church. 
For  two  years  after  its  organization  there  was  little  or  no  growth. 
The  number  of  members  reported  in  '76,  being  only  eight,  but 
in  April,  '78,  the  number  had  risen  to  fortv-three,  and  the  church 
has  since  had  a  prosperous  career. 

EUREKA    VALLEY. 

Eureka  Valley  church  organized  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Smylie,  with 
ten  members  and  one  ruling  elder,  was  enrolled  by  the  Presby- 
tery April, '75.  Mr.  Smylie  supplied  the  church  monthly  until 
his  death.     It  then  numbered  twenty-eight  members. 


The  Ennis  church,  organized  by  a  committee,  W.  S.   Johnson, 
chairman,  was  enrolled  October,  '75.  Fifteen  members   were  re- 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  99 

ported  in  '76,  and  twenty -four  in  '78.     Supplied  by  W.  S.  John- 
son, '76  and  '77,  and  by  H.  Moseley  in  '77  and  '78. 

CLEBURNE. 

Cleburne  church  was  enrolled  October,  '75.  Reported  April, 
'76,  eleven  members;  in  '78,  twenty-three.  Supplied  for  a  time 
by  W.  S.  Johnson. 

HILLSBORO   OR    HILL   COUNTY. 

The  Hill  County  church,  organized  by  a  committee,  H.  Mc- 
Donald, chairman,  was  enrolled  October,  '76.  Supplied  by  H. 
McDonald.  Reported  in  '77,  twenty-nine  members;  in  '78,  thirty- 
four. 


Graham  church,  organized  by  the  evangelist,  was  enrolled  Oc- 
tober, '6.  In  '77,  it  had  thirteen  members,  in  '78,  twenty-two. 
Supplied  by  L,.  T.  Wilson,  evangelist. 

BRECKENRIDGE. 

Breckenridge  church,  organized  by  a  committee,  was  enrolled 
October,  '77,  with  seven  members.  Supplied  by  L,.  T.  Wilson. 

WEST    PORK. 

West  Fork  church,  in  Tarrant  county,  organized  by  evangel- 
ist, L/.  T.  Wilson,  with  seventeen  members,  was  enrolled  April, 
'78. 

LEBANON. 

Lebanon  church,  with  eleven  members  and  one  ruling  elder, 
was  enrolled  October,  '78.  The  division  of  the  Presbytery  tak- 
ing place  just  afterwards,  this  church  did  not  find  a  place  in  the 
statistical  reports  of  this  Presbytery  to  the  General  Assembly. 

All  these  churches  are  now  on  the  roll  of  Dallas  Presbytery 
with  an  aggregate  of  1144  members.  The  name  of  Lebanon  is 
changed  to  Avalon,  and  Eureka  Valley  to  Files'  Valley.  Breck- 
enridge disappeared  from  the  roll  for  some  time  but  has  been 
reorganized. 


IOO  HISTORY  OF  THE 


CHURCHES  THAT  HAVE  BECOME  EXTINCT 

OR  MERGED  INTO  OTHER 

CHURCHES. 


CHAMBERS    CREEK. 

A  church  was  organized  on  Chambers  Creek,  about  sixteen 
miles  east  of  Corsicana,  and  reported  to  Presbytery  in  October, 
1854,  by  Rev-  J-  T.  Balch.  It  had  eight  members  and  one  rul- 
ing elder,  John  Loughridge,  a  brother  of  Revs.  R.  M.  and  A.  J. 
Loughridge.  The  church  was  supplied  one  year  at  least  by  Mr. 
Balch,  and  in  1861  by  J.  M.  McChord.  Mr.  Loughridge  died 
January  29,  '65.  If  there  were  any  members  remaining  when 
the  County  Line  church  was  organized  in  '65,  they  probably 
united  with  it,  and  in  '66,  the  name  of  the  church  was  dropped 
from  the  roll. 

BLUE   RIDGE. 

The  Blue  Ridge  church  was  organized  December  3,  1854,  by 
Rev.  J.  T.  Balch,  with  four  members  and  one  ruling  elder.  These 
members  were  recently  from  South  Carolina.  On  the  18th  of 
June,  1855,  at  a  session  meeting  moderated  by  Rev.  T.  Alexan- 
der, four  members  from  South  Carolina  were  added.  July  17,  '57, 
at  a  meeting  moderated  by  Rev.  A.  J.  Loughridge,  then  of  the 
Eastern  Texas  Presbytery,  four  members  were  received  from  the 
Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian  church. 

The  church  was  served  for  some  time  by  supplies  appointed  by 
the  Presbytery,  in  1856,  regularly  by  Mr.  Balch,  and  from  early 
in  1857,  most  of  the  time,  till  the  close  of  1868,  by  A.  J.  Lough- 
ridge; in  1869  and  1870,  by  L.  Tenney;  in  '71,  by  J.  A.  Walker; 
in  '72,  by  supplies  appointed  by  the  Presbytery,  the  names  of 
M.  C.  Conoley  and  L.  Tenney  appearing  as  moderating  the  ses- 
sion; in  '73,  by  Hillery  Moseley.  It  appears  also  that  Mr. 
Moseley  supplied  the  church  during  a  part,  if  not  the  whole  of 
188 1.  In  the  summer  of  '74,  C.  H.  Dobbs  took  charge  of  the 
church,  and  as  stated  supply  or  evangelist,  preached  till  the  lat- 
ter part  of  '78.  While  evangelist  he  held  a  meeting,  assisted  by 
H.  Moseley,  in  the  summer  of  '76,  at  which  there  were  twenty 
professed  conversions  and  nine  additions  to  the  church.     At  the 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  IOI 

time  of  the  camp-meeting  at  Hog  Island  in  '77,  there  were  six- 
teen additions.  R.  M.  Loughridge  was  stated  supply  from  early 
in  '78,  till  the  spring  of  '81.  C.  W.  Alexander,  from  the  sum- 
mer of  '82,  to  that  of  '83.  Malcom  Black,  in  '84  and  '85.  J.  H. 
Leps,  from  the  summer  of '86,  to  '88,  and  C.  W.  Peyton,  Octo- 
ber, '90,  till  April,  '91. 

In  the  spring  of  '91,  on  account  of  the  changes  which  had 
taken  place,  it  was  thought  best  to  unite  Blue  Ridge  and  Kosse 
churches,  and  the  Presbytery  was  requested  to  dissolve  the 
Blue  Ridge  church,  and  transfer  the  members  to  the  Kosse 
church,  which  was  accordingly  done. 

For  a  church  in  the  country  with  no  house  of  worship  of  its 
own,  and  the  membership  rather  widely  scattered,  it  has  had  a 
history  worthy  of  note.  The  total  number  of  members  enrolled 
is  140.  In  May,  '75,  thirteen  members  were  dismissed  to  form 
the  Kosse  church,  and  in  August,  '77,  fourteen  to  form  the  Prai- 
rie View  church.  After  '78,  the  number  of  members  diminished, 
and  at  the  time  of  the  consolidation  with  the  Kosse  church  there 
were  only  thirty. 

The  ruling  elders  of  the  church  have  been,  W.  B.  McAllister, 
installed  at  the  organization,  December  8,  1854;  Robt.  Harper, 
soon  after  he  was  received  in  1857;  J.  C.  Peoples,  W.  R.  Erskine 
and  James  Todd,  June  7,  1874;  J.  B.  Hart,  spring  of  1877;  J.  W. 
Cochran  and  M.  Frazier,  October,  1881;  Dr.  J.  C  Shaw,  No- 
vember. 1887.  Mr.  McAllister  is  still  active,  an  elder  in  Kosse 
church.  He  has  been  in  office  in  this  Presbytery  longer  than 
any  other  elder  now  living. 

"Grandpa  Harper,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  was  an  excel- 
lent example  of  a  quiet  and  unostentatious  life,  governed  by  a 
sound  theology.  At  one  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  he  stated 
that  they  had  kept  up  a  Sabbath  school,  commenced  in  Eutaw 
and  continued  in  Kosse,  uninterruptedly,  for  twenty  years.  He 
superintended  it  two  years  longer,  till  he  became  too  infirm.  An 
eccentric  Methodist  preacher,  who  lived  at  Eutaw  for  a  time, 
used  to  compare  him  to  Lot  among  the  Sodomites  (see  2  Peter, 
2:  8),  and  would  sometimes  say  that  Lot  ought  to  move  away, 
and  let  the  Lord  rain  fire  and  brimstone  on  the  place.  He  was 
one  of  those  dismissed  to  form  the  Kosse  church.  He  died  May 
13,  1880.  J.  C  Peoples  and  Dr.  Shaw  were  of  those  dismissed 
to  form  the  Prairie  View  church. 

Richland  church,  near  Richland  creek,  sixteen  miles  southeast 
of  Milford,  and  about  the  same  distance  west  of  Corsicana,  was 
organized  by  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery  Rev.  J.  A.  Smylie, 
chairman,  May  25,  1870.  There  had  been  some  Presbyterian 
families  living  there,  holding  membership  in  the  Milford  church, 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE 

for  a  number  of  years,  perhaps  from  about  the  time  the  Milford 
church  was  organized.  Occasional,  and  probably  some  of  the 
time  stated,  services  had  been  held  there.  The  church  was  sup- 
plied one  Sabbath  per  month  by  Mr.  Smylie,  till  his  death  in 
1878.  There  were  fourteen  members  at  the  organization,  three 
ruling  elders  and  three  deacons.  Up  to  April,  1878,  twenty-six 
had  been  added  on  profession  and  twenty-two  by  letter,  a  total 
of  sixty-two;  but  the  largest  number  reported  at  any  one  time 
was  thirty-five.  After  1878,  there  was  no  regular  supply,  and 
the  membership  was  rapidly  diminished  by  removals.  For  some 
years  there  were  no  reports  from  the  church,  and  in  April,  1886, 
it  was  dissolved,  and  the  members  remaining,  transferred  to  Cor- 
sicana.  J.  M.  Scales,  B.  F.  Whitton  and  James  Smith  were  rul- 
ing elders. 

Alvarado  church  was  organized  by  a  committee,  J.  A.  Smylie, 
chairman,  in  the  winter  or  spring  of  1875,  with  ten  members.  A 
year  later,  after  the  organization  of  the  Cleburne  church,  the 
Alvarado  church,  at  the  request  of  the  members,  was  dissolved, 
and  the  members  transferred  to  Cleburne. 

Mizpah  church,  in  the  western  part  of  Lee  county,  was  organ- 
ized in  1876,  with  five  members  and  one  ruling  elder,  Dr.  L.  L. 
Williams.  Two  members  were  afterwards  added.  The  church 
was  supplied  in  1778  by  M.  C  Conoley;  in  1880  by  W.  Addison 
Smith.  Part  of  the  small  membership  having  removed,  the 
church  was  dissolved  at  the  fall  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  in 
1882. 

ROUND  ROCK. 

Round  Rock  church  was  organized  May  10,  1877,  by  W.  F. 
Gillespie  and  R.  K.  Smoot,  D.  D.,  a  commission  of  the  Presby- 
tery, with  six  members.  J.  S.  C  Morrow  was  ordained  ruling 
elder,  and  J.  W.  Sillurie,  deacon.  Mr.  Gillespie  preached  to  the 
church  once  a  month  till  1880.  In  the  spring  of  1880,  A.  H.  P. 
McCurdy  commenced  preaching  two  Sabbaths  per  month.  The 
only  elder,  Mr.  Morrow,  having  removed,  a  commission  of  the 
Presbytery  was  sent  to  reorganize  the  church.  J.  N.  Lyle  and 
his  family  were  received  from  the  Austin  church,  and  Mr.  Lyle 
was  installed  ruling  elder  on  the  fifth  Sabbath  of  May.  Mr.  Mc- 
Curdy preached  to  the  church  till  October,  1882.  During  this 
time  the  house  of  worship  was  built,  Mr.  McCurdy,  it  was  said, 
doing  much  of  the  work  with  his  own  hands. 

G.  T.  Lyle,  S.  S.,  June  1,  '83,  to  June,  '84. 

Geo.  L.  Bitzer,  S.  S.,  Dec,  '84,  to  June,  '85. 

C.  H.  Dobbs,  S.  S-,  Sept.,  '85;    elected  evangelist  Dec,  '87. 

J.  P.  Robertson,  when  licensed  in  May,  1887,  was  directed  by 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  IO3 

the  Presbytery  to  preach  once  a  month  at  Round  Rock,  but  there 
appears  to  be  no  record  of  his  work  there. 

W.  J.  Tidball,  S.  S.,  March,  '88,  to  '89. 

J.  Phipps,  S.  S.,  '90. 

The  total  number  of  members  enrolled  was  74.  The  number 
reported  April,  1889,  was  40.  The  church  was  dissolved  April, 
1 89 1,  and  the  members  transferred  to  Georgetown. 

prairie  VIEW- 

In  January,  1877,  Rev.  C.  H.  Dobbs,  commenced  preaching, 
monthly,  at  Reagan,  and  in  May  at  a  school-house  near  Bennet's 
woods  or  Hog  Island.  In  August  of  that  year  a  plan  that  had 
been  in  contemplation  for  some  time,  was  carried  out — to  hold  a 
camp  meeting  in  Bennet's  woods.  Drs.  Palmer  and  Markham, 
from  New  Orleans,  were  present,  besides  sixteen  or  seventeen 
Texas  ministers.  The  meeting  was  attended  by  large  numbers 
of  people,  estimated  at  between  4000  and  5000.  The  preaching 
lasted  ten  days,  and  great  good  was  done, — many  persons  con- 
verted and  skeptics  convinced  and  brought  to  Christ.  A  church 
of  twelve  members  was  organized  on  the  ground,  and  August 
18,  J.  C.  Peoples  and  R.  H.  Wheeler  were  installed  ruling  elders, 
and  W.  Dow  and  O.  J.  Cockrell  ordained  and  installed  deacons. 
In  October  following  Mr.  Dobbs  was  installed  pastor  for  half  his 
time,  by  a  committee  of  Presbytery,  Drs.  Smoot  and  W.  S.John- 
sou.  In  1878,  another  camp-meeting  was  held,  at  which  Dr. 
Stuart  Robinson,  of  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  Dr.  Smoot  did  most  of 
the  preaching,  and  a  third  in  1880,  at  which  Dr.  Palmer  was 
again  present.  Large  numbers  of  people  were  present  on  each 
occasion  and  the  results  were  excellent.  Most  of  the  additions 
to  the  church  after  its  organization  were  of  people  who  had  not 
been  raised  under  Presbyterian  influence.  Religion  in  the  com- 
munity previous  to  the  camp  meeting  "was  at  low  ebb."  The 
desecration  of  the  Sabbath  day — hunting,  salting  and  branding 
stock,  horse  racing,  drinking,  gambling  and  idling  away  the  day 
at  the  dram  shops — was  so  common  that  it  might  be  called  the 
rule.  Two  years  afterwards  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  as  a 
day  of  worship  was  as  pronounced  as  had  been  its  desecration. 
The  pastoral  relations  between  Mr.  Dobbs  and  the  church  were 
dissolved  in  the  spring  of  1883.  The  total  number  of  members 
enrolled  was  sixty-one,  mostly  during  Mr.  Dobbs'  pastorate. 
The  larger  part  of  members  were  renters  and  their  families,  and 
they  went  west,  largely,  to  find  a  more  healthy  part  of  the  coun- 
try. The  large  number  of  negroes  in  the  Brazos  bottom  adjoin- 
ing, operated  to  induce  their  removal.  Rev.  Malcom  Black  was 
S.  S.  part   of  1884  and  '85,  J.  H.  Leps  in  1887  and  '88.     When 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE 

the  government  census  of  the  churhes  was  taken,  in  1890,  it  was 
said  there  was  not  a  member  of  the  church  left  there,  and  in  the 
spring  of  189 1  the  Presbytery  dissolved  the  church  and  trans- 
ferred the  members  to  Marlin,  but  it  is  said  Marlin  church  re- 
ceived no  accessions  by  it. 

The  Salt  Spring  church  in  Brown  county  was  organized  by 
Rev.  W.  A.  Smith,  with  eight  members,  and  was  enrolled  by  the 
Presbytery  in  1878.  W.  A.  Smith  was  S.  S.  in  1878  and  '79, 
and  J.  A.  McMurray,  evangelist,  preached  there  more  or  less  from 
1881  to  '84.  For  several  years  the  church  rendered  no  reports, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1891  it  was  dissolved.  It  was  understood 
that  a  part  of  the  members  had  joined  the  Brownwood  church. 
In  1883  the  name  was  changed  to  Brown  County  Church. 

TThe  Wilson  Valley  church,  organized  by  Evangelist  J.  A. 
McMurray,  with  nine  members,  was  enrolled  September,  1881. 
Ten  members  were  afterwards  added.  It  was  served  by  Rev.  T. 
McHutchon  as  S.  S.  in  1883  and  '84;  by  M.  Black  in  1886  and 
'87.  In  September,  1889,  in  consequence  of  the  removal  of  the 
larger  part  of  the  membership,  the  church  was  dissolved.  A 
small  house  had  been  erected.  It  was  sold  and  the  proceeds 
given  to  the  Austin  School  of  Theology. 

Hebron  church,  at  Mercer's  Gap,  in  Comanche  county,  was 
organized  with  nine  members,  by  evangelist  J.  A.  McMurray, 
and  was  enrolled  in  November,  '83.  It  had  no  regular  preach- 
ing, and  no  additions  were  reported,  and  in  April,  '88,  the  elder, 
D.  W.  White,  being  dead,  the  church  was  dissolved  and  the  mem- 
bers transferred  to  Comanche. 

Jonesboro  church,  on  the  line  of  Coryell  and  Hamilton  coun- 
ties, was  organized  by  a  commission,  J.  A.  McMurray,  chairman, 
and  was  enrolled  in  November,  'S3.  There  were  nine  members 
and  one  ruling  elder.  Most  of  the  members  shortly  afterward 
removed  to  Hamilton,  and  in  October,  '84,  the  church  was  dis- 
solved and  the  members  transferred  to  Hamilton. 

Fairfield  church,  organized  by  a  commission,  W.  W.  Ruff, 
chairman,  with  eleven  members,  Dr.  W.  Griffith,  elder,  was  en- 
rolled October,  '84.  No  reports  were  rendered  by  the  church. 
Mr.  Ruff  probably  had  a  regular  appointment  there  during  '85. 
Beyond  this  it  had  very  little  preaching.  In  April,  '91,  the 
church  was  dissolved  and  the  members  transferred  to  Oak 
Island. 

Mathison  church,  at  Wortham,  was  organized  by  the  same 
commission  as  Fairfield,  and  enrolled  at  the  same  time.  It  had 
nine  members  and  one  ruling  elder,  A.  E.  McNair.  Two  mem- 
bers were   afterwards  added.     Partly,   probably,  on  account  of 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  105 

its  proximity  to  Mexia,  it  was  dissolved  in  September,  '87,  and 
the  members  transferred  to  Mexia. 

Goliad  church,  organized  by  evangelist  C.  H.  Dobbs,  with 
eleven  members,  were  enrolled  at  the  same  time  as  Fairfield  and 
Mathison.  Four  members  were  afterward  added;  but  the  church 
did  not  grow,  and  soon  lost  half  its  members.  It  was  supplied 
probably  monthly  by  A.  S.  Doak  and  C.  W.  Peyton  while  they 
had  charge  of  the  Robinson  church.  Ruling  Elder  J.  W.  Mc- 
Kee  was  dismissed  to  this  church  from  Robinson  in  August,  '84, 
and  became  an  elder  of  it.  E-  H.  Hatch  was  also  ordained  and 
installed  elder.  The  church  was  dissolved  and  the  members 
transferred  to  Robinson  August  29,  '90. 

Taylor  church,  organized  by  a  commission,  C.  H.  Dobbs, 
chairman,  was  enrolled  April,  '85,  R.  E.  Sherrill,  jr.,  ruling 
elder;  members  at  the  time  of  enrollment,  15.  R.  E.  Sherrill 
was  living  at  Taylor  at  the  time,  but  does  not  appear  to  have 
preached  regularly  to  the  church.  One  member  only  was  added 
after  the  church  was  received,  and  in  April,  '88,  it  was  dissolved 
and  the  members  transferred  to  Hutto. 

Meridian  church  was  organized  by  Iv.  Tenney,  as  a  committee 
of  Presbytery,  in  autumn  of  '86,  with  eleven  members  and  two 
ruling  elders,  E.  B.  Carruth  and  H.  S.  Anderson,  and  was  en- 
rolled in  April,  '87.  Mr.  Tenney  preached  to  the  church  monthly 
two  or  three  years.  Three  or  four  members  were  added  on  pro- 
fession, but,  most  of  the  members  having  removed,  the  church 
was  dissolved  and  the  members  transferred  to  Temple,  April,  '91. 

The  church  of  Goldthwaite  was  organized  in  the  winter  of 
'86-87  by  Rev.  B.  T.  McClelland,  then  of  Trinity  Presbytery,  P. 
C,  U.  S.  A.,  and  was  supplied  by  him  for  some  time.  It  was 
received  by  the  Presbytery  of  Central  Texas  in  April,  '87.  Most 
of  the  members,  however,  soon  after  removed  to  California,  and 
the  church  was  dissolved  in  April,  '88. 


Io6  HISTORY  OF  THE 


THE  AUSTIN  SCHOOL  OF  THEOLOGY. 


In  July,  1884,  nearly  half  the  members  of  the  Presbytery  were 
at  a  camp  meeting  at  Belton.  The  subject  of  our  great  need  of 
more  ministers  being  discussed  among  them,  it  was  decided  to 
ask  Dr.  R.  K.  Smoot  to  open  a  class  for  students  in  theology 
in  Austn.  Dr.  Dabney  had  recently  become  a  member  of  the 
Presbytery,  being  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy  in  the  Texas 
State  University.  He  was  asked  by  Dr.  Smoot  to  assist  in  the 
enterprise,  and  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  October,  '84,  they 
opened  the  school  with  four  students,  Dr.  Dabney  teaching 
theology,  and  Dr.  Smoot  church  history  and  government  and 
pastoral  theology.  They,  in  addition  to  teaching  without  pay, 
became  personally  responsible  for  all  the  expenses  of  the  school 
for  the  first  year.  Licentiate  Geo.  L,.  Bitzer  was  employed  to 
teach  New  Testament  Greek  and  Hebrew.  Dr.  Smoot  also  as- 
sumed the  responsibility  of  the  personal  expenses  of  the  students 
above  what  they  should  be  able  to  pay.  Voluntary  contribu- 
tions were  sent  in,  however,  to  pay  a  considerable  part  of  the 
expenses. 

The  Presbytery  met  in  Georgetown,  October  24th,  of  that 
year,  and  passed  a  resolution,  formally  establishing  the  School 
of  Theology,  requesting  the  several  teachers  to  teach  the  branches 
they  had  commenced.  The  Synod  was  overtured  to  take  con- 
trol of  the  school  and  provide  for  its  needs.  The  Presbyteries 
of  Eastern  Texas  and  Western  Texas,  the  same  month  warmly 
commended  the  school  to  the  support  of  the  church,  and  to  the 
young  men  desiring  to  study  theology.  By  an  oversight,  the 
overture  was  not  presented  to  the  Synod,  which  met  at  Belton, 
October  30,  but  a  resolution  commending  the  enterprise  was 
passed.  The  State  University  was  open  to  the  students  without 
other  expense  than  the  matriculation  fee  of  $10. 

June  2,  '82,  committees  from  the  Presbyteries  of  East  Texas, 
West  Texas  and  Central  Texas  were  present  at  the  examination 
of  the  class,  and  in  their  report  spoke  in  high  terms  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  instruction  given  and  the  progress  made  by  the  stu- 
dents. 

The  second  session  commenced  the  last  Wednesday  in  Sep- 
tember, '85,  with  six  students.  Rev.  A.  A.  Little  took  the  place 
of  Mr.  Bitzer  as  teacher  of  Hebrew  and  New  Testament    Greek. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  IO7 

The  Synod  met  in  Austin  October  20th.  Action  was  taken  cor- 
dially approving  the  effort  to  raise  a  native  ministry,  recom- 
mending Presbyterians  to  advise  their  students  to  attend  the 
school  and  encouraging  churches  and  individuals  to  contribute 
to  its  expenses.  This  action  was  taken  after  considerable  discus- 
sion, some  looking  upon  the  school  as  a  rival  of  Austin  Col- 
lege. The  work  of  the  school  was  again  warmly  commended  by 
those  who  attended  the  examination  at  the  close  of  the  ses- 
sion. 

The  third  session  commenced  the  last  Wednesday  in  Septem- 
ber, '86,  with  seven  students,  two  from  Arkansas,  two  from 
North  Carolina,  and  three  from  Texas.  Licentiate  W.  S.  Red, 
(who  was  ordained  the  next  spring)  taking  the  chair  of  Hebrew 
and  New  Testament  Greek.  During  the  year  the  work  of  se- 
curing a  building  for  the  school  was  commenced,  and  Rev.  R. 
E.  Sherril  made  a  large  contribution  of  books  for  the  library. 
Dr.  Dabney's  study  and  the  lecture  room  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  had  been  thus  far  used  for  the  exercises  of  the  class. 

The  fourth  session  opened  with  nine  students.  The  Synod  had 
taken  no  further  action  looking  to  taking  the  control  of  the 
school,  and  at  its  session  this  year  (October,'87)  said  that,  "It 
does  not  see  its  way  clear  at  the  present  time  to  take  further  ac- 
tion in  that  direction,"  but  heartily  commended  the  school  to 
the  patronage  of  the  Presbyteries  and  their  candidates. 

At  the  fifth  session  there  were  twelve  students,  one  from  Geor- 
gia,one  from  Ohio,  one  from  Tennessee,  three  from  North  Caro- 
lina, and  six  from  Texas. 

The  building  was  completed,  the  library  had  grown  in  the 
short  time  since  it  was  commenced,  to  about  fifteen  hundred  vol- 
umes, a  part  of  them  from  the  library  of  the  late  Dr.  J.  W.  Mil- 
ler, donated  by  Mrs.  Miller. 

In  1890  Rev.  J.  M.  Purcell  was  elected  a  professor,  and  taught 
two  years  without  compensation. 

During  the  session  of  '9i-'92,  Rev.  J.  A.  L.e  Fevre,  D.  D., 
was  in  Austin,  and  rendered  most  efficient,  voluntary  assistance 
in  the  school.  In  the  spring  of  '92  he  was  elected  a  professor, 
and  continued  in  the  office  till  the  spring  of  '94,  when  his  resig- 
nation was  accepted.  The  school  has  continued,  though  with  a 
small  number  of  students,  to  do  efficient  service  to  the  church 
and  to  the  Presbytery  at  the  cost  of  much  self-denying  labor  to 
the  teachers.  Rev.  M.  J.  Tidball  was  elected  teacher  of  Greek 
and  Hebrew  in  the  fall  of  '90,  and  has  continued  in  the  work 
till  the  spring  of  '95. 


[08  HISTORY  OF  THE 


LIST  OF  MEMBERS  OF  THE  PRESBYTERY. 


Hugh  Wilson,  by  division  of  Brazos  Presbytery,  April,  '54; 
died  March,  '68. 

John  T.  Balch,  by  division  of  Brazos  Presbytery,  April,  '54; 
dis.  Red  River,  Oct.  '58;  died  end  of '61. 

Wm.  M.  Baker,  by  division  of  Brazos  Presbytery,  April,  '54; 
dis.  Zanesville,  April,  '66;  died  '84. 

R.  F.  Bunting,  by  division  of  Brazos  Presbytery,  April,  '54; 
dis.  W.  Texas,  Oct.,  '56;  died. 

Michael  Dickson,  Talladega,  Oct.,  '54;  died  March  8,  '74. 

T.  W.  Erwin,  ordained  Oct.,  '54;  dis.  Bethel,  Oct.,  '55. 

Sam'l  Taylor,  Vincennes,  April,  '55;  died  June  9,  '55. 

Thos.  Alexander,  Indianapolis,  April,  '55;  died  March  26,  '64. 

J.  M.  McChord,  Crawfordsville,  April,  '55;  dis.  Vincennes, 
April,  '56. 

J.  M.  McChord,  Vincennes, 'Oct.,  '60;  died  Nov.  22,  '76. 

L  Tenney,  Brazos,  April,  '55. 

R.  M.  Overstreet,  Muncie,  October,  '55;  dis.  Indianapolis, 
March,  '66. 

Jos.  Boone,  Brazos,  Oct.,  '56;  dis.  Brazos,  April,  '62. 

A.  J.  Loughridge,  Eastern  Texas,  Nov.,  '57;  died  March  19,  '8i. 
R.  M.  Loughridge,  Creek  Nation,  April,  '64;    dis.  W.  Texas, 

April,  '70. 

R.  M.  Loughridge,  W.Texas,  April,  '77;  dis. Neosho,  Nov.,  '80. 
R.  M.  Loughridge,  Muscogee,  P.  C,    U.  S.  A.,  Jan.,  '92 
Hillery  Moseley,  E.  Texas,  March,  '65;  died  Dec.  3,  '83. 
Wm.  M.  King,  Texas,  U.  S.,  May  '65;  died  June  1,  '82. 
S.  A.  King,  Texas,  U.  S.,  May,  '65. 
W.  A.  Smith,  W.  Texas,  May,  '65;  died  Aug.  4,  '87. 

B.  Y.  George,  Londonderry,  April  '67;  dis.  Missouri,  Feb.,  '68. 
Neill  McDonald,  Fayetteville,  April,  '68;  died  Feb.  3,  '75. 

J.  A.  Smylie,  Tombigbee,  Oct.,  '69;  died  Sept.  23,  '78. 
J.  A.  Walker,  S.  Ala.,  Oct.,  '69;  dis.  W.  Texas,  April,  '79. 
Robt.  McCoy,  Bethel,  Oct.,  '69;  dis.  E.  Texas,  April,  '70;  died. 
A.  A.  Porter,  D.  D.,  S.  Carolina,  April,  '70;  died  Dec.  8,  '72. 
M.  C.  Conoley,  Brazos,  Oct.,  71;  died  Sept.  21,  '78. 
Henry  McDonald,  E.  Texas,  Dec,  '73,  Dallas,  by  division,  '78; 
died  Oct.,  '82. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS.  109 

H.  B.  Rose,  Abingdon,  May,  '74. 

W.  S.  Johnson,  ordained  May,  '74;  Dallas,  by  division,  '78; 
died  '82. 

C.  H.  Dobbs,  Ebenezer,  Aug.,  '74;  dis.  Greenbriar,  July,  '92. 

W.  M.  Kilpatrick,  W.  Texas,  Oct.,  '74;  dis.  W.  Texas,  April,  '76. 

J.  S.  Grasty,  D.  D.,  Louisville,  May,  '75,  dis.  Missouri,  Oct.,  '76; 
died  '83. 

G.  P.  Richardson,  N.  Miss.,  Oct.,  '75;  dis.  Dallas,  Oct.,  '80; 
died  '86. 

T.  D.  Lea,  Knoxville,  Oct.,  '75;  dis.  E.  Texas,  Oct.,  '77;  died. 

W.  F.  Gillespie;  Louisiana,  April,  '76;  dis.  W.  Texas,  Oct.,  '81. 

O.  F.  Rogers,  Chickasaw,  Nov.,  '76;  dis.  W.  Texas,  Oct.,  '78; 
died  '94. 

R.  K.  Smoot,  D.  D.,  Muhlenberg,  April,  '77. 

B.  D.  Thomas,  E.  Texas,  April,  '77;  Dallas,  by  division,  '78; 
died  '81. 

W.  W.  Brimm,  E.  Texas,  April,  '77,  Dallas,  by  division,  '78. 
A.  S.  Doak,  Holston,  April,  '77;  dis.  Augusta,  Sept.,  '85. 
L.  T.  Wilson,  ordained  April,  '77;  Dallas,  by  division,  '78. 
J.   A.    McMurray,   ordained  Oct.,  '77;    transferred   to   Dallas, 
Oct.,  '84. 

J.  M.  Robinson,  ordained  Oct.,  '77. 

Robt.  Logan,  Atlanta,  April,  '78;  Dallas,  by  division,  '78. 

L.  B.  Chaney,  ordained  April,  '78;  Dallas,  by  division,  '78. 

C.  W.  Peyton,  ordained  April,  '78. 

R.  M.  Tuttle,  Paducah,  Oct.,  '79;  dis.  Missouri,  I  May,  '85. 

A.  H.  P.  McCurdv,  ordained  April,  '80;  dis.  W.  Texas,  Oct.,  '82. 

H.  W.  Woods,  Ozark,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  April,  '81;  dis,  High- 
land, P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  July,  '82. 

J.  T.  Paxton,  E.  Texas,  Sept.,  '81;  dis.  La  Fayette,  April,  '84. 

W.  W.  Ruff,  ordained  Sept.,  '81;  dis.  Greenbriar,  April,  '86. 

J.  H.  Zivley,  West  Texas,  Oct.,  '82;  dis.  Nashville,  Oct.,  '88. 

M.  C.  Hutton,  Chickasaw,  April,  '83. 

C.  W.  Alexander,  Dallas,  April,  '83;  dis.  Dallas,  April,  '84; 
dead. 

Thos.  McHutchon,  ordained  April,  '83;  died  Feb.  13,  '86. 

J.  M.  Cochran,  Brazos,  Nov.,  '83;  Dallas,  Oct.,  '84. 

J.  M.  Cochran,  East  Texas,  Oct.,  '94. 

R.  L.  Dabney,  D.  D.,  West  Hanover,  April,  '84. 

Geo.  T.  Lyle,  Holston,  April,  '84;  dis.  Greenbriar,  Oct.,  '84. 

Hugh  Calvin  Smith,  Brazos,  April,  '84;  dis.  Louisville.  Sep- 
tember, '85. 

R.  E.  Sherrill,  Dallas,  April,  '84;  dis.  Dallas,  Sept.,  '87. 

J.  S.  Greenlee,  ordained  April,  '84;  dis.  Brazos,  April,  '93. 

W.  E-  Shive,  ordained  April,  '84;  dis.  St.  Johns,  April,  '85. 


IIO  HISTORY  OF  THE 

W.  T.  Spears,  Ebenezer,  Oct.,  '84;  dis.    Ebenezer,    April,  '86. 

M.  W.  Millard,  Holston,  Oct.,  '84;  dis.    Memphis,    Sept.,  '87. 

Malcom  Black,  ordained  Oct.,  '84;  dis.  Dallas,  April,  '91. 

Wm.  George,  D.  D.,  Dallas,  April,  '85;  dis.  West  Texas, 
May,  '88. 

W.  G.  McDonald,  ordained  Sept.,  '85;  dis.  E.  Texas,  Oct.,  '88. 

W.  W.  C.  Kelly,  West  Texas,  Oct.,  '85;  died  Oct.  20,  '91. 

Thos.  Wharey,  D.  D.,  Roanoke,  April,  '86;  died  March  24,  '88. 

J.  K.  P.  Newton,  Chickasaw,  May,  '86. 

W.  S.  Red,  ordained  April,  '87;  dis.  Brazos,  April,  '90. 

R.  B.  Palmer,  ordained  April,  '87;  dis.  Pueblo,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A., 
May,  '89. 

J.  H.  Leps.  West  Texas,  April,  '87;  died  May,  '89. 

John  Woodruff,  Solomon,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  April,  '87;  dis.  Tus- 
caloosa, Oct.,  '88. 

S.  J.  McMurry,  ordained  August,  '87;  dis.  W.  Texas. 

W.  L-  Lowrance,  Dallas,  Sept.,  '87;  dis.  Dallas. 

John  Young,  ordained  August,  '87;  died  '90. 

R.  K.  Moseley,  W.  Texas,  Dec,  '87;  dis.  Dallas,  April,  '90. 

L-  H.  Kimmons,  Washburn,  April,  '88;  dis.  Missouri,  Sep- 
tember, '89. 

J.  P.  Robertson,  ordained  April,  '88. 

W.  J.  Tidball,  ordained  May,  '88. 

J.  M.  Purcell,  ordained  May,  '88. 

C.  R.  Dudley,  Mississippi,  Feb.,  '89;  dis.  Dallas,  Oct.,  90. 

C.  M.  Hutton,  Tuscaloosa,   May,   '89;    dis.  Dallas,  April,  '81. 

Joshua  Phipps,  Holston,  April,  '90;  dis.  W.  Texas,  April,  '91. 

J.  S.  Willbanks,  Arkansas,  April,  '90;  deposed  April,  '91. 

R.  E.  L,eutz,  ordained  April,  '90;  dis.  Mecklenburg,   Oct.,  '91. 

J.  T.  Sailes,  Red  River,  April,  '90;  dis.    Red  River,  Aug.,  '81. 

C.  E-  Ewing,  Holston,  August,  '90. 

E.  L.  Siler,    ord.  August,  '90;  dis.  Mecklenburg,  April,  '93. 

H.  M.  Smith,  ord.  August,  '90;  dis.  Dallas. 

R.  C.  Anderson,  ord.  August,  '90;  dis.  Montgomery,  April,  '92. 

T.  C.Johnson,  ord.  August,  '90;  dis.  Louisville,  Feb.,  '91. 

R.  E.  Dale,  Pine  Bluff,  January,  '91. 

S.  W.  Mitchell,  E.  Texas,  Jan.,  '91;  dis.  Memphis,  March, '92. 

J.  N.  McFarlane,  Upper  Missouri,  April,  '91;  dis.  '94. 

N.  W.  McMillan,  ordained  April,  '91. 

J.  C.  Grow,  Paris,  Oct.,  '91. 

J.  W.  Siler,  Mecklenburg,  October,  '91;  dis.  Mecklenburg, 
July,  '92. 

Wm.  Hughes,  Boston,  N.  P.,  April,  '92;  dis.  Dallas,  April,  '93. 

A.  R.  Shaw,  Fayetteville,  April,  '92. 

R.  E.  Hardin,  ordained  April,  '92. 


PRESBYTERY  OF  CENTRAL  TEXAS. 

G.  T.  Storey,  Cent.  Miss.,  October,  '92. 

W.  S.  Baker,  Arkansas,  April,  '93. 

H.  M.  Sydenstricker,  Trinity,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  April,  '92. 

G.  S.  Robinson,  Lexington,  Sept.,  '93. 

D.  N.  Yarbro,  ordained  Sept.,  '93. 

J.  A.  Creighton,  Dallas,  Oct.,  '83. 

B.  T.  McClellan,  Trinity,  P.  C,  U.  S.  A.,  January,  '94. 


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